# Joe Lonsdale

> Joe Lonsdale is a serial entrepreneur and venture capitalist who co-founded Palantir Technologies, Addepar, OpenGov, and 8VC — a firm managing over $6 billion in assets. A chess prodigy turned PayPal intern turned Peter Thiel protege, Lonsdale built his empire around the belief that the most important companies are the ones governments and defense establishments can't function without. Based in Austin, Texas, he hosts the American Optimist podcast, co-founded the University of Austin, and runs the Cicero Institute — all while backing defense tech titans like Anduril at a $30.5 billion valuation.

- **Role:** Founder and Managing Partner at 8VC
- **Organizations:** 8VC, Palantir Technologies, Addepar, OpenGov, Cicero Institute, University of Austin, Affinity, American Optimist
- **From:** Fremont, California, USA
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** B.S. Computer Science, Stanford University
- **Known for:** Co-founded Palantir Technologies, now valued at approximately $400 billion, Co-founded OpenGov, sold for ~$1.8 billion to Cox Enterprises in 2024, Co-founded Addepar, serving financial advisors managing $5-7 trillion in assets

## Career timeline

- **2001-2003** — Editor-in-chief of The Stanford Review, the libertarian/conservative paper co-founded by Peter Thiel
- **2003** — Interned at PayPal; became early executive at Clarium Capital (Peter Thiel's macro hedge fund)
- **2004** — Co-founded Palantir Technologies with Peter Thiel, Alex Karp, Stephen Cohen, and Nathan Gettings
- **2009** — Left Palantir while retaining equity; co-founded Addepar (wealth management platform now serving $5-7T in assets)
- **2011** — Co-founded Formation 8 venture capital firm; raised ~$450M across funds
- **2012** — Co-founded OpenGov (government financial software)
- **2015** — Founded 8VC after Formation 8 dissolved; co-founded Affinity (relationship intelligence CRM)
- **2016** — Named to Forbes Midas List; co-founded Cicero Institute (public policy think tank)
- **2020** — Relocated from San Francisco to Austin, Texas; 8VC headquarters followed
- **2021** — Co-founded University of Austin (UATX) with Bari Weiss, Niall Ferguson, and others
- **2024** — OpenGov acquired by Cox Enterprises for ~$1.8 billion; UATX welcomed first undergraduate cohort
- **2025** — 8VC raised Fund VI targeting ~$1B; portfolio reached 36 unicorns and $6B+ AUM
- **2025** — 8VC-backed Anduril raised $2.5B at $30.5B valuation

## Achievements

- Co-founded Palantir Technologies, now valued at approximately $400 billion
- Co-founded OpenGov, sold for ~$1.8 billion to Cox Enterprises in 2024
- Co-founded Addepar, serving financial advisors managing $5-7 trillion in assets
- 8VC portfolio includes 36 unicorns, 16 IPOs, and 40 acquisitions
- 8VC manages over $6 billion in assets under management
- Named to Forbes Midas List in 2016 and 2017 as one of the youngest members ever
- Co-founded University of Austin, which enrolled its first undergraduates in fall 2024
- Cicero Institute has helped pass 175 bills in nearly 30 states
- Two-time California junior chess state champion in middle school
- Hosts American Optimist podcast with 149+ episodes and prominent political guests

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — Commented on AI and job losses: 'You actually need to destroy some jobs for the country to do better' - CNBC interview
- **2026-03** — Posted chess puzzles on X, reflecting his ongoing engagement with the game that shaped his strategic thinking
- **2026-01** — Characterized Minneapolis shooting protesters as an 'organized illegal insurgency' on X
- **2025-12** — Tweeted 'Loser generation' in response to data on rising college disability accommodations at Stanford
- **2025-06** — 8VC-backed Anduril raised $2.5B at a $30.5B valuation
- **2025-01** — 8VC announced Fund VI, targeting approximately $1 billion in new LP capital; Fund closed at ~$998M

## Links

- Website: https://joelonsdale.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jtlonsdale/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/JTLonsdale

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/joe-lonsdale
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-04