Blake Masters

Blake Gates Masters (born August 5, 1986) is an American venture capitalist and political candidate. Frequently referred to as a protégé of businessman Peter Thiel, Masters co-wrote Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future with Thiel in 2014, based on notes Masters had taken at Stanford Law School in 2012. He was later chief operating officer of Thiel's investment firm, Thiel Capital, and also president of the Thiel Foundation. In the 2022 United States Senate election in Arizona, Masters defeated state Attorney General Mark Brnovich and businessman Jim Lamon in the August 2 primary to become the Republican Party nominee. Throughout his campaign, he aligned himself with Thiel and former president Donald Trump, both of whom endorsed him in June 2022. Masters benefited from $15 million in funding from Thiel during the primary campaign but lost to incumbent Democrat Mark Kelly.