A data leak from Swiss hacktivist maia arson crimew has unveiled bizarre details about Dialog, a secretive private social club co-founded by former PayPal boss Peter Thiel and angel investor Auren Hoffman. The leaked information reveals a hidden rating system for attendees, unusual discussion topics, and even a matchmaking service.
Dialog's Secret Rating System
According to Wired's analysis of the leak, Dialog grades its retreat attendees on a hidden scale based on wealth and fame. Members are assigned grades A, B, or C, with C being the highest for the most famous and influential. For instance, actor Josh Brolin is considered a VIP, with notes highlighting his role as Thanos in the Avengers series and the film's $2.79 billion gross.
Additionally, attendees receive a "value-add" score from 1 to 4, determined by Dialog staff. Those with "Value Add Too Low" or deemed a "Poor Culture Fit" can be disinvited from events. The grades also influence event pricing, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Lower-grade attendees pay full price about 70% of the time, while only a quarter of VIPs face the highest charges.
Bizarre Session Topics
The leak also exposed planned session topics for Dialog's retreats, ranging from "Bring Back Nuclear" to "Disinformation and Deepfakes," "Contrarian AI Takes," "Democracy Under Surveillance," and "Money (Does?) Buy Happiness." Other sessions include cult-building moderated by the founder of Christian site Pray.com, "Navigating WWIII," and "How's Your Sex Life?"
Matchmaking Service
Dialog operates a matchmaking system to pair members for networking and dating, as reported by Wired. One note indicated staff paired two members because they are "both in New York and work in government." Each person receives a photo and short bio of their match. However, Dialog maintains a "do-not-pair" list for spouses or professional associates, though sometimes no reason is given for flagged combinations.
How the Leak Happened
The most startling aspect is that such sensitive information was exposed. The data includes home addresses, phone numbers, emails, dates of birth, food allergies, and political leanings of some members. Crimew told Straight Arrow, "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. Not even for their 'off the record' secret conventions where they all network and discuss our collective future."
Dialog, active since 2006, regularly gathers politicians, entrepreneurs, foreign officials, academics, Silicon Valley founders, and Hollywood figures for invitation-only retreats. This August, guests are scheduled to meet outside Dublin for a two-day event.
