Net worth: $1.2 billion Thiel has been at the fore of some of Silicon Valley's biggest phenomena. He co-founded PayPal, which he sold to eBay in 2002 for $1.5 billion. Two years later, he became Facebook's first outside investor, putting in $500,000. He enjoys running, hiking and surfing. A chess prodigy, he was ranked seventh in the U.S. at age 12. (Image courtesy: Reuters)
URBANEYE