Peter Thiel buys 1% stake in Argentina’s Vista Energy

Billionaire investor Peter Thiel has recently acquired a 1% stake in Vista Energy, a major oil producer operating in Argentina's Vaca Muerta shale formation. Thiel Macro LLC purchased approximately 1.2 million of Vista's American depositary shares for around $76 million, according to a report from the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

This investment amounts to roughly 1% of Vista's total capital. Thiel's interest in the Argentine energy sector is not new, as he met with Argentine President Javier Milei four months ago at the presidential palace in Buenos Aires. Milei reportedly discussed economic policy with Thiel and shared his opposition to wealth taxes. Thiel has also been spotted purchasing a lavish home in an upscale neighborhood of Buenos Aires.

Vista Energy produces around 160,000 barrels of oil equivalent daily and has invested more than $6.5 billion in the Argentine market. The company recently updated its investment and production projections for the Vaca Muerta shale formation, which is located in Neuquén province in Patagonia, Argentina. This area is approximately the size of Belgium and houses the world's second-largest shale gas reserves and fourth-largest shale oil reserves.

Thiel Macro currently manages a portfolio valued at $418.7 million, which includes stakes in companies such as Vistra, Amazon, American Electric Power, DTE Energy, FirstEnergy, CMS Energy, and nuclear reactor developer X-energy.