Peter Thiel's Gulfstream V returns to Los Angeles after a quick San Diego turnaround

This flight comes amid a period of transcontinental movement for Thiel's aircraft. On September 18, N878DB flew from Los Angeles to Teterboro, New Jersey, then on September 19 from Teterboro to San Francisco, then San Francisco to Los Angeles, and finally the San Diego round trip. The itinerary suggests Thiel, if aboard, may have been juggling meetings on both coasts. The New York Times reported in May that Thiel had moved his family to Buenos Aires, purchasing a $12 million mansion and meeting with President Javier Milei, while maintaining homes in Los Angeles and Miami [nytimes.com](https://archive.ph/SNjqi). His continued use of California airports indicates he has not fully cut ties with the state, despite a pending ballot initiative that could tax billionaires' assets.

The same day's flights also follow a pattern of increased Bay Area visits documented by celebplanes in June, when Thiel's aircraft flew from Los Angeles to San Jose the same week leaked records of his secretive Dialog club were published by Wired [celebplanes.com](https://www.celebplanes.com/articles/peter-thiel-flight-9395). The Dialog controversy, which exposed membership lists and an agenda for an Irish retreat, has drawn condemnation from Irish politicians and may require ongoing damage control with Silicon Valley allies. If Thiel was aboard the San Diego leg, the trip could have involved discussions with defense or intelligence contacts — a natural fit given his Palantir and Anduril ties.

Whether the San Diego stop was a meeting with a portfolio company or simply a repositioning to collect a passenger, the aircraft's return to LAX by late evening suggests a routine business day rather than a dramatic relocation. For a billionaire who reportedly keeps backup countries and a Gulfstream V parked in Colorado, a 24-minute hop is barely a blip — but it adds another data point to the map of a restless founder's West Coast footprint.