Trick question because Thiel is not human. Also, I would add Putin to the list.
1/2 i often think about two events that were kind of important for musicians in the Gen X era and they don't have anything to do with whether you like the bands or not.
The first is that Bruce Springsteen, a huge star at the time made a record on a cassette machine and released it on a major label. It was unthinkable then, no matter how it seems now. I think the whole DIY generation understood things in a different way after that and saw potential in home recording.