Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is trying to put daylight between himself and Peter Thiel’s invitation‑only Dialog society after his name turned up in a leaked membership directory that has Washington, Silicon Valley, and now Denver buzzing. His office insists he is not a member, does not remember attending and, until this week, had never even heard of the group. The uproar follows a run of reporting that has pulled back the curtain on an off‑the‑record network of political, military and tech insiders.
Polis Denies Membership
Polis’s pushback came after his name appeared in a directory published in recent reporting. In a statement to Westword, spokesman Eric Maruyama said, "No, Governor Polis is not a member of this organization, whatever it is," adding that Polis does not recall attending any Dialog events and had not previously heard of the society at all.
The denial is categorical, but it leaves an obvious question hanging over the Capitol: if the governor says he has no connection, why is his name in the leaked materials in the first place?
What the Leak Shows
The directory was first spotted by security researcher Maia Arson Crimew and independently verified by WIRED. The outlet reported that the exposed files included a public list of roughly 113 names along with a separate registration roster of about 222 people for an August retreat near Dublin.
According to WIRED, the leak contained bios, attendance histories, and off‑the‑record program notes that map out a retreat blending sessions on geopolitics, technology, and personal development. The published agenda features eye‑catching titles such as "Navigating WWIII," "Build‑a‑Cult," and "Money (Does?) Buy Happiness," which have only intensified scrutiny of who is being brought into the room and why the conversations are shielded from public view.
As reported by The Guardian, the registry names politicians, military leaders, tech founders, and media figures. The documents do not consistently distinguish between core members, guests, and one‑time participants, a gap that helps explain why some people listed are now scrambling to clarify their status.
Palantir, Thiel and Local Links
Dialog was co‑founded by Peter Thiel and Auren Hoffman. Thiel’s business footprint lands close to home for Polis: Palantir, a company Thiel helped start, moved its headquarters to Denver in 2020 and then announced a relocation to Miami in February 2026, according to reporting by Bloomberg.
Palantir’s government work has been a lightning rod for criticism. The company’s own filings and independent reporting describe long‑standing contracts with U.S. agencies and ties with Israeli defense bodies, as detailed in an SEC disclosure and subsequent coverage.
Responses and Political Optics
Others named in the leaked material have offered a range of explanations, from saying they gave a one‑time talk to expressing surprise at finding their names on the list at all. The Guardian reports that several officials are working to distance themselves from any suggestion of active membership, stressing that a single invitation or appearance should not be read as ongoing involvement.
Polis’s office, for its part, is drawing a hard line, flatly denying membership and any recollection of contact with the group. The unresolved piece is how his name ended up in Dialog’s records and who, exactly, compiled those lists. Westword reports that Dialog did not respond to requests for comment as reporters sought answers.
