German investor Christian Angermayer drives Tether’s high-stakes investments in AI and neural implants, earning millions as the crypto giant expands its portfolio.
Introduction: Christian Angermayer, the German investor known for his eccentric investments, guides Tether’s ambitious acquisitions, including high-risk deals in AI and neural technology. The story of his involvement reveals the audacious strategy behind Tether’s expansion.
Christian Angermayer, a flamboyant German investor, has played a pivotal role in Tether’s ambitious investments, guiding the crypto giant through a series of high-risk deals that intertwine technology, AI, and neural implants.
Tether, the company behind one of the world’s most widely used cryptocurrencies, is sitting on a fortune. With over $115 billion worth of tokens in circulation and soaring interest revenues from the Treasurys backing its cryptocurrency, Tether has found itself flush with cash, earning around $4 billion annually. The company has decided to channel this windfall into a spree of acquisitions, turning to Christian Angermayer, a colorful tech investor, to steer its investments.
Christian Angermayer is no stranger to unconventional ventures. His investment portfolio spans everything from psychedelics and dinosaur fossils to the creation of an Olympics alternative that embraces performance-enhancing drugs. Angermayer’s involvement with Tether has seen the crypto giant invest approximately $1.5 billion into companies where he holds stakes, earning him lucrative commissions along the way.
Among Tether’s most significant acquisitions, guided by Angermayer, are Northern Data, a German data center operator transitioning into an AI company, and Blackrock Neurotech, a Utah-based brain implant firm. Both companies have struggled financially, yet Tether has doubled down on its investments, seemingly unfazed by the risks.
In the past year, Tether acquired majority stakes in both Northern Data and Blackrock Neurotech. Northern Data, which has seen significant losses, was initially a bitcoin mining company before its pivot towards AI. Despite its precarious financial position, Tether’s investments in the firm have been substantial. The crypto company paid €32.3 million for an initial stake in Northern Data in 2023, followed by another €48 million later in the year. These deals were brokered by Angermayer, who pocketed 5% of each transaction, totaling €4 million.
Tether’s financial commitment didn’t stop there. The company established an Irish subsidiary, DaMoon, lending it €400 million to acquire cutting-edge Nvidia H100 processors. Northern Data later absorbed DaMoon, with Tether receiving additional shares in the process. Tether’s CEO, Paolo Ardoino, lauded the investment, describing it as a “perfect fit” during a podcast, highlighting Northern Data’s management and potential.
The investments in Blackrock Neurotech have been equally audacious. The brain implant company, which develops interfaces to help paralyzed individuals operate technology, has faced its share of challenges. Under Angermayer’s leadership, the company expanded rapidly, only to encounter financial difficulties that led to multiple rounds of layoffs. In April 2024, Tether acquired a majority stake in Blackrock Neurotech for $200 million, valuing the company at $350 million. Tether declared that it was moving beyond its role as a digital dollar provider to “empowering humans throughout the future inevitable evolution” with advanced neural technology.
Christian Angermayer’s influence in these deals cannot be understated. His family office, Apeiron Investment Group, has a track record of introducing investors to high-stakes opportunities. However, not all of Angermayer’s introductions have been successful. In 2017, Apeiron facilitated a deal between the Chinese conglomerate HNA Group and Deutsche Bank, which ended in disappointment as HNA sold its stake amid financial struggles. Angermayer was also instrumental in SoftBank’s investment in Wirecard, a German payments processor that later collapsed in a massive accounting scandal.
Despite these setbacks, Angermayer’s ventures have continued to attract significant attention. He has shifted his focus towards what he calls the “Next Human Agenda,” investing in cutting-edge sectors such as cryptocurrency, longevity, and psychedelics. Among his more eccentric endeavors is the Enhanced Games, an Olympics alternative that endorses the use of performance-enhancing drugs, co-founded with support from tech mogul Peter Thiel.
Angermayer’s personal style is as distinctive as his investments. Known for wearing flamboyant shirts adorned with mushroom motifs and sporting a tattoo of the chemical symbol for psilocybin on his forearm, he frequently showcases his eclectic tastes on social media. His Instagram feed features his collections of fossilized dinosaur bones and ancient sculptures, often with a psychedelic twist.
Tether’s association with Angermayer underscores the risks and rewards of their bold investment strategy. While the company’s involvement in high-tech ventures like AI and neural implants signals a new direction, it also highlights the precarious balance between innovation and financial stability. As Tether continues its ambitious expansion, the outcomes of these investments remain uncertain, but the influence of Christian Angermayer on the crypto giant’s future is undeniable.
