The Rise Of Vivek Ramaswamy: From Successful Billionaire To Trump's Key Ally

Last Updated:November 13, 2024, 13:40 IST

Ramaswamy's selection in the government efficiency department is a remarkable achievement for the Indian-origin Republican leader.

Vivek Ramaswamy vociferously supported Trump's hardline policies and emerged as a powerful voice of his 2024 campaign. (Reuters)

Vivek Ramaswamy, the bold Indian-American entrepreneur who gained attention for his strong anti-woke statements, was selected by US President-elect Donald Trump to lead his new ‘Department of Government Efficiency’, which aims to enhance oversight of government spending and overhaul federal agencies to curb bureaucracy.

This moment came as a remarkable achievement for the young Republican leader, whose political journey began from Trump’s GOP rival in the presidential race to becoming one of his staunchest backers for the White House. This also put to rest speculation about his future in Trump’s administration, where he was once reportedly in consideration for Secretary of State or Homeland Security Secretary.

Trump had hinted at a larger role for Ramaswamy for overseeing major government initiatives, describing him “smart as hell". in his announcement on Tuesday, the President-elect called Ramaswamy an “American Patriot". The 39-year-old leader will now become a crucial part of Trump’s second presidency that will take the reins on January 20.

How Ramaswamy’s Journey Began?

Vivek Ganapathy Ramaswamy was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on August 9, 1985, to Tamil-speaking Brahmin parents who immigrated to the US from India. His mother was a geriatric psychiatrist and his father was an engineer and patent lawyer. Ramaswamy attended a Roman Catholic high school but identified as a Hindu, frequently visiting a temple in Dayton.

Ramaswamy graduated with a biology degree from Harvard University and worked for a hedge fund, where he earned several million dollars before earning a law degree from Yale University in 2013. At Yale, he met his future wife Apoorva, a then-medical student, and also became friends with Vice President-elect JD Vance.

Ramaswamy’s Career As An Entrepreneur

Ramaswamy, gaining reputation as a stellar businessman, founded his own biotech company called Roivant Sciences, which purchased patents from larger companies for high-risk prescription drugs that were yet to be fully developed and marketed, according to the New York Times. One of the subsidiaries of his company purchased an Alzheimer’s drug that has failed four clinical trials for $5 million.

In 2017, the company announced that the drug interpirdine failed in its large clinical trial, which caused Roivant huge losses. However, Ramaswamy was insulated from much of the losses as he had sold a portion of his shares to Viking Global Investors and claimed $37 million in public gains. In 2019, Roivant sold off its stake, which earned nearly $175 million for Ramaswamy. He then left his roles as CEO in 2021 and chairman in February.

During this time, Ramaswamy claimed he was apolitical before 2020 and contributed to both Democratic and Republican candidates. However, after his exit as Roivant CEO, he published a book that criticised ‘woke’ culture in corporations. The book raised his profile among conservatives and fuelled his reputation as an anti-woke crusader.

Ramaswamy’s Presidential Campaign

Ramaswamy announced his presidential campaign for the Republican Party in early 2023, facing Donald Trump and fellow Indian-origin GOP leader Nikki Haley. Labelling himself as ‘Trump 2.0’, Ramaswamy strongly aligned himself with Trump’s hard-line policies on immigration and economy, while restraining himself from attacking the President-elect directly.

Despite being a long-shot candidate, Ramaswamy’s energetic speeches at the Republican presidential primaries and regular media appearances thrust him into the global spotlight, as he attacked Haley and labelled her as “fascist" and “corrupt". He proposed some unconventional policies – like firing 75% of the federal workforce and sending the US military to Mexico to fight drug cartels.

Being a Hindu, he also appealed to evangelical Christian voters who form a large Republican base. However, Ramaswamy fell behind Trump and Haley and withdrew his presidential bid in January this year, expressing full support for the President-elect. Trump commended Ramaswamy’s performance and said the Indian-origin leader had given him a tough competition.

Since then, there was no looking back. Ramaswamy threw his full support behind Donald Trump, gaining a reputation for his unwavering support and strong opinions on deporting millions of undocumented migrants and attacking the Biden-Harris administration’s performance. Ramaswamy proposed an aggressive stance on China, supported Israel’s war against Hamas, and advocated enhanced relations with India.

Vivek Ramaswamy’s Future In Trump 2.0

Through his regular media appearances and opinions on social media, Ramaswamy became an influential figure in Trump’s decisive victory over Democrat Vice President Kamala Harris on November 5. The entrepreneur labelled it as “America’s comeback" and a “golden age" for Americans.

Speculation increased over his role in the second Trump administration, as reports claimed that he was considered a favourite for the US Secretary of State or the Secretary of Homeland Security. Ramaswamy also expressed interest in running for the Senate seat in his hometown of Ohio, which will be vacated by Vice President-elect Vance.

After his appointment in Trump’s government efficiency department, Ramaswamy and Tesla CEO Elon Musk will be tasked to drive large-scale structural reform in the government, cut wasteful spending and make public service more efficient and transparent. Tagging Musk in an X post, Ramaswamy said, “We will not go gently".

However, with this new appointment, Ramaswamy said he would withdraw himself from consideration for the Ohio Senate seat. “Whoever Governor DeWine appoints to JD’s seat has some big shoes to fill. I will help them however I can," he said.

Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)

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