British Museum hosted Palantir founder Peter Thiel in private viewing of Bayeux tapestry
Concern among staff that fragile artwork’s scarce ‘light hours’ given to someone with no known interest in museum The British Museum privately hosted the Donald Trump-supporting tech billionaire Peter Thiel in the exhibition space of the Bayeux tapestry earlier this month, the Guardian understands. The museum’s director of development, Charlotte Appleyard, hosted the PayPal founder at a VIP…
The British Museum granted a private viewing of the Bayeux tapestry to tech billionaire Peter Thiel earlier this month, according to the Guardian. Thiel, who is known for his political leanings and past association with Jeffrey Epstein, was hosted by the museum's director of development, Charlotte Appleyard, on August 18. The museum's chair, George Osborne, was aware of the viewing but did not attend.
Concerns were raised among staff about the allocation of "light hours" for the fragile artwork to someone without a known interest in the museum, as well as the museum's association with Thiel's controversial company, Palantir. The Bayeux tapestry, which is yet to open to the public, attracted significant online queues when tickets went on sale in summer, with up to 80,000 people reportedly queuing by mid-afternoon.
The museum's carefully planned light-hour allocation, agreed in partnership with colleagues in France, has not been affected by Thiel's visit.
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Also reported by 2 other outlets
- A bonanza of Bayeux Tapestry books to accompany the blockbuster British Museum exhibition theartnewspaper.com
- What in the Devil Was Peter Thiel Doing at the British Museum? hyperallergic.com
