Thanks to Mike C.
Yes, Nate Silver has recently taken on an advisory role with a company that has connections to Peter Thiel. Here are the key details:
Nate Silver’s New Role
Nate Silver, the well-known statistician and election forecaster, has been appointed as an advisor to Polymarket, a blockchain-based prediction market platform.
Polymarket’s Connection to Peter Thiel
Polymarket has received significant backing from investors, including Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund. Peter Thiel is a prominent venture capitalist and entrepreneur known for his investments in technology companies and his involvement in conservative politics.
Context and Implications
- Polymarket is a leading platform for election betting, having seen over $265 million in bets on the 2024 U.S. presidential race.
- The platform is not accessible to U.S. users due to regulatory restrictions but conducts trades internationally.
- Silver’s appointment has raised some ethical concerns among observers, including potential conflicts of interest and market manipulation risks.
- This move comes after Silver left FiveThirtyEight and started his own Substack newsletter.
Broader Perspective
Silver’s association with a company backed by Thiel has led to some criticism and skepticism, particularly from those who view it as potentially compromising his objectivity in election forecasting. However, Silver maintains that his work remains unbiased and that his track record of accurate predictions speaks for itself.It’s important to note that while there is a connection between Silver and a Thiel-backed company, this does not necessarily imply any direct collaboration between Silver and Thiel themselves.