Vivek Ramaswamy announces 2024 US presidential bid: 10 points about the candidate with Kerala roots

Vivek Ramaswamy describes himself as a “capitalist and citizen”. (Image credit: www.vivekramaswamy.com)

Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, dubbed by the New Yorker magazine as the “CEO of Anti-Woke Inc”, announced his 2024 US presidential election bid, joining Nikki Haley in the Republican Party's presidential primary. The number of Indian-Americans getting appointed to high-profile positions has grown rapidly in recent years, the biggest example being Kamala Harris, the US vice president.

Ramaswamy entered the presidential bid with a promise to “put merit back” and end dependence on China. He filed a statement of candidacy and created a presidential committee with the Federal Election Commission

Here are 10 things to know about Vivek Ramaswamy

• Vivek Ramaswamy is a 37-year-old Indian-American Republican and businessman.
• Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Ramaswamy is the son of Indian immigrants - his father a General Electric engineer and his mother a geriatric psychiatrist.
• His parents migrated to the US from Kerala.
• On social media, Ramaswamy describes himself as a “capitalist and citizen”.
• He said the US faces external threats like the rise of China. It "has got to be our top foreign policy threat that we've got to respond to, not pointless wars somewhere else. That's going to require some sacrifice. It's going to require a declaration of independence from China and complete decoupling. And that's not going to be easy. It's going to require some inconvenience,” he told Fox News.
• He attended Harvard and Yale universities and is worth reportedly in excess of $500 million, enough to seed his campaign through the key early states. He made his name first by becoming a successful biotech entrepreneur and developing medicines, including five drugs that became FDA-approved. He founded Roivant Sciences in 2014.
• In 2022, he co-founded Strive Asset Management, a assent management firm, which, according to his website, is focused on “restoring the voices of everyday citizens in the American economy by leading companies to focus on excellence over politics”. It was launched with backing from billionaire investors including Peter Thiel and Bill Ackman.
• The Indian-origin millionaire embarked on test runs and fact-finding missions in the US state of Iowa where he has been addressing multiple events, according to a media report.
• Ramaswamy insisted his trip to Iowa and other prep work he is doing for a potential run are serious, the Politico reported on Monday, adding that he said: "this is not a play for attention."
• He is married to Apoorva Tewari Ramaswamy, an assistant professor and surgeon at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.