Dialog, a private club co-founded by Peter Thiel, grades its members and prospects on a hidden scale, ranking them by wealth and fame, tracking relationships, and using algorithms to decide who they should meet, sit with, or avoid. The records, obtained by WIRED from a confidential source, include personal data on nearly 200 prominent individuals scheduled to attend the group's annual retreat this summer. The data includes home addresses, private phone numbers, email accounts, dates of birth, photos, emergency contacts, food allergies, and political leanings. The records are distinct from a public list of people affiliated with Dialog that was left exposed on the organization’s website and has been circulating online since earlier this week.
Dialog assigns people grades before they join. Of the 192 dossiers examined by WIRED, 130 are tagged as members. The rest are prospects with files bearing markings like 'First Time Dialoger' or 'Warm.' Everyone—members and prospective invitees alike—is assigned a grade of A, B, or C. The 'C' grade appears reserved for the most famous and influential; only one in seven received it. Most people—141 of 192—received a 'B.' The final tier, 'A,' appears primarily assigned to older, established members whom the graders consider less notable. Actor Josh Brolin, who has never attended a Dialog retreat, is categorized as a VIP largely based on the strength of his fame, with notes citing his role in 'Avengers: Endgame' and his Instagram following of over 3.4 million.
Founded in 2006 by Thiel and data broker Auren Hoffman, Dialog is a private club that convenes politicians, investors, entrepreneurs, military leaders, executives, academics, and journalists for invitation-only, off-the-record retreats. According to a Dialog document shared by a past participant, it has 'over 1,000 paying members,' and more than 2,500 people have attended its annual retreats. The document, which describes Dialog as an 'invite-only community,' distinguishes between two products: membership and retreats. The former allows members to access private dinners hosted in members' homes and private spaces around the world, as well as 'member-led global treks,' concierge services, a private group chat, and more. Retreats convene groups of 200 or more people—who are not necessarily members—for three- to four-day meetings.
Source: wired
