Yes, the quote is real. Peter Thiel said "Gandalf's the crazy person who wants to start a war…Mordor is this technological civilization based on reason and science. Outside of Mordor, it's all sort of mystical and environmental and nothing works." in a July 2022 interview with UnHerd titled "Peter Thiel on the dangers of progress".

This is part of Thiel's contrarian reading of The Lord of the Rings, where he explicitly states a preference for Mordor and Sauron, interpreting Mordor as a rational, technologically advanced society. The quote has been widely cited by multiple sources, including Current Affairs and Unpopular Front.