Who is Vivek Ramaswamy: Indian-American businessman in race for 2024 US elections

He is the second Indian-American to enter the Republican Presidential primary race after Nikki Haley

Hyderabad: Indian-American tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has announced he will contest the 2024 Presidential election in the United States. He is the second Indian-American to enter the Republican Presidential primary race after Nikki Haley, former US ambassador to the UN, launched her Presidential bid last week.

Born in 1985 in Ohio’s Cincinnati, Ramaswamy is the son of Indian immigrants who moved to the US from Palakkad, Kerala. His father worked at the General Electric Plant, and his mother was a geriatric psychiatrist.

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Ramaswamy graduated in Biology from Harvard University in 2007 and later went to Yale Law School to pursue a Doctor of Jurisprudence. He was the president of the Harvard Political Union while studying at the college and used to perform Eminem covers and original free-market-themed rap songs.

Ramaswamy in 2014 established Roivant — his pharmaceutical venture that focuses on applying technology to drug development. The entrepreneur then co-founded Strive Asset Management last year and currently serves as the Executive Chairman.

In 2015 and 2016, Ramaswamy led the largest biotech IPOs, eventually culminating in successful clinical trials in multiple disease areas that led to FDA-approved products. As per Forbes, the 37-year-old had a net worth of $600 million in 2016, when he was among America’s richest entrepreneurs under the age of 40.

The entrepreneur is known for criticising the Black Lives Matter movement, “cultural totalitarianism” enforced by “liberal elites”, mask mandates and US-border protection. He also strongly advocates meritocracy in every field, including immigration.

In an interview with ‘The New York Times’, he reportedly said that if elected as the President, his first action would be to “repeal Executive Order 11246, which has banned discrimination and required affirmative action for federal contractors since 1965”.