Data leaked by the Swiss hacktivist known as maia arson crimew — who previously released the U.S. Justice Department’s no-fly list in 2023 — has exposed details about Dialog, a private social club co-created by former PayPal executive Peter Thiel and angel investor Auren Hoffman, according to reporting by The Guardian.
The network has operated since 2006 and holds invitation-only retreats that bring together politicians, entrepreneurs, foreign officials, academics, Silicon Valley founders, and Hollywood figures. An upcoming two-day gathering is scheduled for August outside Dublin.
According to Wired’s analysis of the leak, Dialog grades its retreat attendees on a hidden scale that ranks them by wealth and fame. Each attendee receives a grade of A, B, or C, with “C” designated for the most famous and influential guests. Most attendees also receive a “value-add” score from 1 to 4, based on ratings from Dialog staff. The grading system determines event pricing, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Lower-grade attendees are charged full price roughly 70% of the time, while only about a quarter of VIPs pay the higher rates. Members whose “Value Add Too Low” is flagged or who are deemed a “Poor Culture Fit” can be disinvited from events.
Actor Josh Brolin is listed as a VIP in the records. A note on his membership states: “His portrayal of Thanos in the Avengers series and his involvement in high-grossing films like Avengers: Endgame, which grossed over $2.79 billion, contribute to his prominence.”
The planned agenda for Dialog events includes sessions on a range of topics: “Bring Back Nuclear,” “Disinformation and Deepfakes,” “Contrarian AI Takes,” “Democracy Under Surveillance,” and “Money (Does?) Buy Happiness.” Other sessions on the agenda include one on cult-building, moderated by the founder of the Christian website Pray.com, alongside sessions titled “Navigating WWIII” and “How’s Your Sex Life?”
Dialog also operates a matchmaking system that pairs members for networking and dating, according to Wired. Staff notes show that two members were paired because they are “both in New York and work in government.” When introductions are made, each attendee receives a photo and a short biography of the other person. Dialog maintains a “do-not-pair” list for attendees who are spouses or professional associates, though in some cases no reason is given for why individuals are flagged.
The exposed data includes home addresses, phone numbers, emails, dates of birth, and other biographical information, as well as food allergies and the political leanings of some members.
“It’s just wild to me how this once again shows that the people who run the world are so confident in their safety that they don’t really bother with any proper operational security,” crimew told Straight Arrow. “Not even for their ‘off the record’ secret conventions where they all network and discuss our collective future.”