Indian-American entrepreneur and republican politician Vivek Ramaswamy have entered the race for the 2024 US presidential election with a vision to “revitalize the American spirit and restore a culture of merit to society.”
American billionaire investor and CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management, Bill Ackman on Wednesday endorsed Vivek Ramaswamy for the president by tweeting “I am going to make a bold and early call. @VivekGRamaswamy will run for POTUS and win. I think the country is ready for his message,”
According to Bill Ackman’s tweet, he described the person as young, smart, and talented, who can attract the center to the right to win. Ackman also stated that this individual speaks hard truths which many people believe but are afraid to express.
Additionally, he mentioned that the person is a successful entrepreneur who possesses knowledge in areas such as business, economics, healthcare, politics, history, and geopolitics. Ackman further stated that although one may not agree with all of this person’s views, one would still respect his/her candor, acumen, discipline, and energy. Finally, Ackman suggested that this person is someone to keep an eye on.
Vivek Ramaswamy is the second Indian American to enter the 2024 US presidential election race as Nimrat Randhawa aka Nikki Haley declared a few weeks ago that she will be running for the top post.
Who is Vivek Ramaswamy?
Vivek Ramaswamy, who hails from Cincinnati, Ohio, is the son of V.G. Ramaswamy and Geetha. V.G. Ramaswamy who worked at the General Electric Plant in Evendale, Ohio emigrated from Kerala, India, and Geetha worked as a geriatric psychiatrist in Cincinnati.
In 2003, Ramaswamy completed his high school education at St. Xavier High School located in Cincinnati. He then attended Harvard College and graduated in 2007 with an A.B. in biology. During his time at Harvard, Ramaswamy achieved academic honors, receiving summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. In 2013, Ramaswamy furthered his education by obtaining a J.D. from Yale Law School.
After completing his studies at Harvard College, Vivek Ramaswamy was one of the co-founders of Campus Venture Network, a technology company. The company provided networking resources and software to university entrepreneurs. Ramaswamy also held the position of President at the company.
Founding of Roivant Sciences
In 2014, Ramaswamy gained popularity within the business community for establishing the pharmaceutical firm, Roivant Sciences. He held the position of CEO at the company until 2021.
Roivant Sciences is a publicly-traded healthcare company listed on NASDAQ, and its headquarters are located in Basel, Switzerland. The company is primarily engaged in utilizing technology for drug development and creating platform technologies.
One of the company’s objectives is to develop drug candidates in earlier stages. Roivant Sciences has several focus areas, including the development of platform technologies and drug candidates.
Strive Asset Management
In addition to his work at Roivant Sciences, Vivek Ramaswamy is a co-founder and executive chairman of Strive Asset Management, an asset management firm based in Ohio. The company’s mission is to empower ordinary citizens in the US economy by guiding companies to prioritize excellence over politics.
Recently, Strive Asset Management gained attention in the news when its total assets under management surpassed $500 million in November 2022, just three months after launching its first fund. Ramaswamy’s leadership at the firm has helped establish it as a rising player in the asset management industry.
2024 Presidential Election
According to media reports, Ramaswamy is attending various sociopolitical, programs, test runs, and fact-finding missions in the state of Iowa in the run-up to the election. He reportedly told people that his trip to Iowa and other prep work he is doing for a potential run is serious, and “this is not a play for attention.” Politico reported.
Vivek Ramaswamy, who is a self-proclaimed conservative politician is a staunch critic of stakeholder capitalism, big tech censorship, and critical race theory. According to a 2022 profile in The New Yorker magazine, Vivek Ramaswamy, who has a net worth exceeding $500 million, was referred to as “The CEO of Anti-Woke, Inc.”
The profile presumably highlighted Ramaswamy’s efforts to challenge the current social and political climate by pushing back against “woke” culture.
Vivek Ramaswamy’s two books, “Woke, Inc.: Inside Corporate America’s Social Justice Scam” and “Nation of Victims: Identity Politics, the Death of Merit, and the Path Back to Excellence,” sparked debates and discussions across the political and business communities. These works address topics such as woke culture, victimhood culture, and stakeholder capitalism.
As per a report by Politico, Vivek Ramaswamy was reportedly inspired by Donald Trump’s win in the 2016 presidential election. Ramaswamy aims to run for office with an entrepreneurial and unconventional approach, hoping to gain significant support that will ultimately help him secure the presidency.
