When Vivek Ramaswamy was 18: School speech emerges as he readies for DOGE role

An old video clip of Vivek Ramaswamy delivering the commencement address at St Xavier High School emerged, providing a sneak peek at what went behind the making of the man, who, along with tech giant Elon Musk, will take over the charge to lead the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from January next year.

In the clip shared on X, the 18-year-old Vivek Ramaswamy, with confidence on his sleeve, could be heard urging his classmates to reflect on the journey ahead. "I have been racing my entire high school career," Ramaswamy said, "but now, when we are finally crossing the finish line, I wish I could have stopped, just a little earlier, to catch a breath of the fresh air around me."

Drawing on a quote from his English class, Ramaswamy explored the complex emotions surrounding graduation. "It is better to travel than it is to arrive," he recalled, leaving him with mixed feelings about the moment. "How am I supposed to feel right now?" he asked the audience. This remark is something which everyone around the world will be looking at as he will take charge of cleaning up the federal bureaucracy.

In the video, he then pondered the meaning of the word 'commencement,' noting its origins in French, where it means 'to begin.' "However, we use the same word for tonight, which marks the end. So, which is it really?" he questioned. "The climactic ending or simply the launch pad for what comes next?"

Ramaswamy spoke of the importance of looking at their shared experiences to find the answer. "The only answer lies in looking at our experience," he said, emphasising that their time at St Xavier was just the beginning of a much larger journey.

VIVEK RAMASWAMY: EARLY LIFE

Vivek Ramaswamy was born on August 9, 1985, in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Tamil-speaking Brahmin parents from Kerala. He attended a Roman Catholic high school in Ohio and frequently visited a Hindu temple in Dayton with his family.

Ramaswamy earned a biology degree from Harvard University and later graduated from Yale Law School.

He worked as a hedge fund investor, claiming to have made millions before completing his degree at Yale. In 2014, he founded Roivant Sciences, a biotech company that purchased patents for underdeveloped drugs from larger firms.

He stepped down as CEO in 2021. By 2023, Forbes estimated his net worth at $630 million.