Matt Clifford, the entrepreneur who helped shape the UK's artificial intelligence strategy and previously advised the Prime Minister on AI policy, has been named on a leaked attendee list linked to Dialog, a private organisation co-founded by billionaire investor Peter Thiel.
Clifford later said he had been invited to the gathering but was not planning to attend. Dialog's planned 2026 retreat near Dublin reportedly include registration details for 222 participants drawn from technology, government, finance, academia and defence. The exposed information included attendee profiles, registration records and other internal data that was not intended to be publicly accessible.
There is no suggestion that Clifford, or any other individual named in the records, has engaged in wrongdoing. However, the leak has attracted attention because it provides an unusually detailed look at a network that has spent much of the past two decades operating outside public view.
One of the UK's Most Influential AI Figures
Clifford has become one of the most prominent figures in British artificial intelligence policy in recent years. He authored the government's AI Action Plan, advised the Prime Minister on artificial intelligence and played a leading role in organising the AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park in 2023. He also serves as chair of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA), the government-backed research body established to fund high-risk scientific and technological projects.
Outside government, Clifford is known as the co-founder and non-executive chair of Entrepreneurs First, a company-building and investment organisation that has helped launch hundreds of technology start-ups.
His appearance on the leaked attendee list places one of the architects of Britain's AI strategy among a group that reportedly includes senior military officials, policymakers, investors and technology executives from around the world.
Clifford also publicly dismissed suggestions that the gathering was part of a secretive network.
I’m getting used to conspiracy theories about me, but this is one of the strangest! It’s not a secret society; it’s a conference. I was invited; I’m not going. I assume this is a list of people they invited. There’s not much more to it than that!
— Matt Clifford (@matthewclifford) June 17, 2026
Other High-Profile Names on the List
According to WIRED, the attendee records include a broad mix of influential figures from the worlds of politics, finance, defence, technology and entertainment.
Among those reportedly listed are General Alexus Grynkewich, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, and Randall Kroszner, a former governor of the US Federal Reserve who now serves on the Bank of England's Financial Policy Committee.
Previous reporting on the leak has also indicated that the attendee list extended beyond government and technology circles, including figures from the entertainment industry.
The breadth of the guest list reflects Dialog's longstanding approach of bringing together participants from different sectors for private discussions on issues ranging from artificial intelligence and geopolitics to economics, defence technology and social change.
What the Leak Revealed
Dialog was founded in 2006 by Thiel and entrepreneur Auren Hoffman and has built a reputation for hosting private gatherings designed to encourage candid, off-the-record conversations among participants.
According to WIRED, the exposed records included attendee information, biographical details and responses to registration questionnaires. The publication reported that several attendees used personal or corporate email addresses when registering, with some not using official government accounts.
The leak stemmed from material that was reportedly accessible through parts of Dialog's online infrastructure, exposing information that attendees were told would remain private.
While the breach has primarily raised questions about data security, it has also provided a rare glimpse into the networks that connect senior policymakers, military leaders, investors and technology executives. Clifford's appearance on the list highlights the increasingly close relationship between government decision-makers and the private technology figures helping shape the future of artificial intelligence.
