When somebody starts talking about a Roth IRA, your mind probably conjures up images of index funds, slow growth, and a comfortable retirement home. Well, billionaire Peter Thiel had a very different idea.
Instead of treating his IRA like a simple retirement vehicle, the PayPal (PYPL) and Palantir (PLTR) co-founder took advantage of the account’s tax-free growth to purchase pre-IPO shares in startups that turned out to be major household names. The result: Thiel managed to turn just $1,700 into a fortune worth roughly $5 billion.