When it came out that Silicon Valley billionaire Peter Thiel, who advises President Donald Trump, had obtained citizenship in New Zealand in 2011 without fulfilling some of the usual requirements—like living there for the majority of five years—lawmakers in the island nation demanded to know how he managed it.
They have a better idea now.
According to recently released New Zealand government documents, the Germany-born PayPal founder wrote in his citizenship application of how deep his love for the country ran, according to the New York Times. “I am happy to say categorically that I have found no other country that aligns more with my view of the future than New Zealand,” Thiel wrote.
“It is a stable country with one of the highest ratings in the world for honesty and a non-corrupt culture,” he added, according to the Guardian.
The documents, released late Tuesday, show Thiel was granted citizenship under “exceptional circumstances” for “his skills as an entrepreneur and his philanthropy,” even though he didn’t fully meet eligibility requirements, the Guardian reports.
