The global rich like Peter Thiel are eyeing the exit door. Argentina wants to be a ‘serious contender’ in the migration game

Palantir co-founder Peter Thiel made headlines when he decided to relocate with his family to Buenos Aires earlier this summer, purchasing a mansion in an exclusive neighborhood and meeting with President Javier Milei and senior government officials. 

This is exactly the plan, it turns out — Argentina wants more people like him. The country has been preparing for the last year to launch a full citizenship-by-investment scheme. In July 2025, Decree 524/2025 established an Investment Citizenship Programs Agency within its Ministry of Economy that would allow, for the first time, foreign investors to apply for citizenship without needing to reside in Argentina first. The exact parameters are still being worked out, with the Financial Times reporting that wealthy foreigners may be able to obtain Argentine citizenship in exchange for a non-refundable donation of about $500,000 or buying $1 million in zero-coupon government bonds, citing people familiar with the government’s plans.

The sheer scale of the plan is what sets it apart from anything the citizenship-by-investment industry...