Founders Fund launches a game show for tech elites

Founders Fund, the venture capital firm co-founded by Peter Thiel, has launched a new game show titled “MAFIA the GAME.” The show, named after the party-game favorite, will apparently be an ongoing program where tech figures face off over a card game. The debut episode features participants including OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman and Palmer Luckey. The program is moderated by Mike Solana, who serves as the chief marketing officer at Founders Fund and the editor of the media outlet Pirate Wires.

The initiative represents an effort to move away from standard marketing formats. “I’m so f*cking bored with VC content,” Solana stated, referring to content produced by venture capital firms. He added that there must be a more interesting way to get to know someone, and he believes the game show format provides that opportunity. In addition to Altman and Luckey, the show’s debut episode includes participants such as Moxie Marlinspike, the founder of the encrypted chat application Signal, and Bryan Johnson, the famed biohacker who will (according to him) live forever. Johnson has managed to grow his following through an active social media presence.

The launch of the show highlights a broader trend of tech firms and executives leveraging infotainment—media that blends information and entertainment—to capture public attention. This shift comes as the internet has turned the world into a population of chronic media consumers, and the average American spends around 2.5 hours on social media per day. Much of that time is spent scrolling through an endless flood of advertising-laced memes and videos. Other companies are pursuing similar media-centric strategies. For example, OpenAI, the company that procured the podcast company TBPN, has expanded into the space, while Elon Musk has long used a viral social media presence to build his public profile. Startups are also adopting this playbook; Chungin “Roy” Lee, the CEO of the startup Cluely, has similarly demonstrated the power of being a viral hype machine to build brand awareness.

Why it matters

Silicon Valley’s leaders are increasingly using media and infotainment as a strategy for marketing and political influence, signaling a shift in how tech firms build their public brands.