Peter Thiel's Hedge Fund Doubles Down on Tech Titans: Apple and Microsoft Now Dominate Portfolio

In a notable portfolio reshuffle, Peter Thiel's investment vehicle, Thiel Macro, has placed a substantial bet on two of the world's most valuable companies. Recent regulatory filings reveal the fund sold its entire position in chipmaker Nvidia and trimmed its stake in Tesla during the third quarter, redirecting capital toward Apple and Microsoft. The two tech behemoths now represent a combined 61% of the $74 million fund's assets.

While the fund's size is a fraction of Thiel's estimated $26 billion net worth, the concentrated positions signal a high-conviction view on the long-term AI strategies of both Apple and Microsoft, despite their differing approaches.

Apple's move to integrate Alphabet's Gemini AI models into Siri marks a strategic pivot, acknowledging the fierce competition in foundational AI model development. Analysts see this partnership as a pragmatic step to rapidly enhance its ecosystem's capabilities. The company's recent "Apple Intelligence" suite, though currently free, lays the groundwork for future premium services, potentially unlocking significant revenue within its high-margin Services segment. Strong quarterly results, highlighted by a 38% rebound in China sales, underscore its resilient consumer base.

Microsoft, meanwhile, is leveraging its entrenched position in enterprise software and cloud computing to monetize AI aggressively. Its Copilot assistants are seeing rapid adoption, and the launch of the "Agent 365" control plane strengthens its role as an essential AI infrastructure provider. Through its Azure Foundry platform and its deep partnership with OpenAI—which includes exclusive licensing and a revenue-sharing agreement—Microsoft has built a formidable, multi-layered AI monetization engine.

The market has reacted differently to each giant's trajectory. Microsoft shares recently faced pressure due to high AI infrastructure spending, while Apple's premium valuation continues to draw scrutiny. Nonetheless, Thiel's fund appears to be betting that both are critical architects of the AI-driven future, one through consumer hardware and services, the other through enterprise and cloud dominance.

Michael Rodriguez, Portfolio Manager at Clearwater Capital: "Thiel's move is less about picking winners in pure-play AI and more about backing the established platforms with the capital, distribution, and ecosystem to monetize AI at scale. He's betting on the toll-bridge operators, not the gold miners."

Lisa Chen, Tech Analyst at Bernstein & Co.: "The exit from Nvidia is fascinating. It could be simple profit-taking after a historic run, or a view that the hyperscale AI infrastructure build-out phase is maturing. Doubling down on Microsoft, which is a major Nvidia customer, suggests he still believes in the AI spend story, just further up the value chain."

David Park, Editor of 'The Disruptive Tech Letter': "This is classic Thiel—contrairan and concentrated. But loading up on Apple now feels like a nostalgia play. Their AI strategy has been reactive and derivative. Partnering with Google is an admission of defeat in core innovation. This portfolio looks like a bet on past dominance, not future disruption."

Sarah Wilkinson, Independent Investor: "As a retail investor, it's validating to see a legendary VC like Thiel making such a focused bet. It highlights that for all the talk of small AI startups, the mega-caps with vast cash flows are arguably better positioned to integrate and profit from the technology over the long term."