Raised in San Diego, Richard grew up on boats—admittedly, mostly sailboats. He actually didn't purchase his first powerboat, a 19-foot SeaCraft center console, until after he moved to Jupiter, Florida, in 1980. From the moment he launched Last Resort, he was hooked on powerboats, so much so that he decided to parlay his love of them and his experience as a diesel mechanic into a career as a freelance boating writer. Thiel went on to serve as Power & Motoryacht's editor-in-chief for 25 years and contributed to the magazine until his passing in 2016.
