Vivek Ramaswamy (born 1985) is an American biotech entrepreneur who gained national attention for his bid for the Republican nomination in the 2024 U.S. presidential election. The following year he entered the race for governor of Ohio.
Ramaswamy’s parents moved to the United States from Kerala, India, in the 1970s. He was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, and he later graduated from Harvard University with a bachelor’s degree in biology (2007) and from Yale University with a law degree (2013). In 2014, when Ramaswamy was 29, he started a pharmaceutical company, Roivant Sciences. That and other business ventures made him extremely wealthy.
Ramaswamy first gained notice for his outspoken opposition to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing, and in 2022 he founded Strive Asset Management LLC, an “anti-woke” index fund provider. His frequent media appearances (especially on podcasts) and unconventional positions raised his profile early in the 2024 presidential race. However, he suspended his campaign in January 2024 and endorsed the eventual winner Donald Trump. Ramaswamy and Elon Musk were slated to head the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). However, Ramaswamy ultimately never assumed the post, instead opting to run for governor of Ohio. In May 2026 he easily won the Republican primary, but he lost the November general election to Democratic candidate Amy Acton.