Business Insider, Politico Staffers Protest Over Peter Thiel Award

Over 120 journalists at Business Insider and Politico have taken issue with Axel Springer's decision to award billionaire Peter Thiel, citing the tech investor's controversial track record. The protest, penned in a letter to Axel Springer leadership, was submitted prior to Thursday's ceremony in Berlin, where Thiel is scheduled to receive the organization's annual Axel Springer Award.

The dispute stems from Thiel's past ties to press organizations, particularly his role in financing Hulk Hogan's lawsuit against Gawker following the publication of a 2007 article revealing the businessman's sexual orientation. Hogan's $140 million judgment in 2016 contributed to Gawker's bankruptcy and reignited discussions about the influence of wealthy individuals on media organizations.

This pushback comes amid a separate legal battle for one of Axel Springer's U.S. newsrooms, which is challenging the Trump administration's decision to exclude their journalists from the White House. In announcing Thiel as the award's recipient in July, Axel Springer described the honor as an opportunity to engage with influential figures and challenge their ideas, highlighting the recipient's impact on business, society, or technology.

CEO Mathias Döpfner earlier praised Thiel for embodying progress through courage and nonconformity. The ceremony, which will include Thiel's discussion with CEO Döpfner, comments from CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss, and a conversation with PayPal co-founder Max Levchin, remains scheduled. Axel Springer's spokesperson reiterated their statement about the purpose of the award and mentioned that the event will be livestreamed.

The Axel Springer Award has previously been given to notable figures such as Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.