DUBLIN — A private, invitation-only organization known as Dialog, founded in 2006 by Peter Thiel and Auren Hoffman, had a directory of its participants exposed through its website's source code. The exposed directory was identified by a hacktivist, who provided an anonymous tip, and its contents were later verified by reporters.

The directory, which was preserved in an Internet Archive snapshot from June 15, listed individuals including high-ranking U.S. officials, military leaders, and technology executives. Among those listed was White House staff secretary Will Scharf. Other government participants included former deputy secretary of health and human services Jim O'Neil, and political operative Leonard Leo. Several U.S. senators and governors were also listed: Sens. Ted Cruz and Cory Booker, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis.

Military figures named in the directory included General Alexus Grynkewich, who has attended Dialog gatherings since 2021, and retired general Stanley McChrystal. International participants included former intelligence chief Turki al-Faisal, United Kingdom parliament member Tom Tugendhat, and Kuwait Petroleum chief executive Sheikh Nawaf Al-Sabah. Treasury secretary Scott Bessent and army secretary Dan Driscoll were also listed.

The exposed directory also contained the names of technology and media figures. OpenAI president Greg Brockman, technology executive Elon Musk, and Neuralink executive Shivon Zilis were listed as participants. Authors Sam Harris and Steven Pinker, along with columnists Ezra Klein and Bret Stephens, were also identified in the directory.

Academic researcher Janine Wedel commented on the nature of such private forums. "It is in these sorts of gatherings – where you have financial, tech and political power coming together – that we're increasingly seeing agendas being set and opinions being shaped. It's where the most powerful elites, a cross-section, an interconnected section of the most powerful positions, come together and shape elite opinion," Wedel said. "There do seem to be a growing number of fora involved in precisely this – transnational gatherings of the most powerful financial, tech and political elites, coming together. So I think it's a problem for democracy, in essence. We have to think about it that way."

Some individuals listed in the directory stated they were not current members of the organization. A spokesperson for Governor Jared Polis said he is not a member and does not know why his name appeared on the website. Retreat registrants often used personal or corporate email addresses rather than official government accounts.