Vivek Ganapathy Ramaswamy, an American politician, entrepreneur, and biopharmaceutical innovator, founded Roivant Sciences in 2014. Known for his Republican candidacy in the 2024 U.S. Presidential election, Ramaswamy initially campaigned on a platform focused on government efficiency, innovation in healthcare, and conservative values. After placing fourth in the Iowa caucuses, he suspended his campaign in January 2024.
Vivek Ramaswamy Appointed to Lead Department of Government Efficiency with Elon Musk
On November 12, 2024, President-elect Donald Trump appointed Ramaswamy, along with Elon Musk, to co-lead the newly proposed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). This innovative department is tasked with streamlining government functions, reducing bureaucratic waste, and enhancing federal efficiency in line with Trump’s Save America agenda.
Education of Vivek Ramaswamy
| Education Level | Details |
|---|---|
| Early Education | Attended public schools through 8th grade |
| High School | Cincinnati’s St. Xavier High School, a Catholic school affiliated with the Jesuit order |
| Graduated as valedictorian in 2003 | |
| Undergraduate | Harvard University, Bachelor of Arts in Biology, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa |
| Gained reputation as a confident libertarian, president of the Harvard Political Union | |
| Performed libertarian-themed rap as “Da Vek” and interned at Amaranth Advisors and Goldman Sachs | |
| Senior thesis on ethical questions of human-animal chimeras; awarded Bowdoin Prize | |
| Graduate Fellowship | Awarded Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans in 2011 |
| Law School | Yale Law School, earned Juris Doctor in 2013 |
| Member of campus Jewish intellectual society, Shabtai | |
| Befriended JD Vance, future U.S. Vice President-elect, while studying at Yale |
This captures Ramaswamy’s progression from public schools to prestigious institutions, his varied academic interests, and early finance and biotech career experiences.
Career of Vivek Ramaswamy
| Year | Career Activity | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Co-founded Campus Venture Network | Partnered with Travis May to create Campus Venture Network, a private social networking site for university students interested in launching businesses. |
| 2009 | Sale of Campus Venture Network | Sold Campus Venture Network to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, a nonprofit organization. |
| 2007–2014 | Worked at QVT Financial (hedge fund) | Held a position as partner at QVT Financial, where he co-managed the firm’s biotech portfolio. |
| 2007–2014 | Biotech Investments at QVT | Managed investments in biotech companies including Palatin Technologies, Concert Pharmaceuticals, Pharmasset, and Martin Shkreli’s Retrophin. |
| 2023 | Critique of Shkreli’s Prosecution in “Woke Inc.” | In his book Woke Inc. and a 2023 speech, he described Martin Shkreli as “brilliant” but a pathological liar, calling the fraud a “victimless crime” and criticized the U.S. Department of Justice’s decision to prosecute Shkreli. |
This table provides an overview of Ramaswamy’s entrepreneurial and investment activities before founding his own pharmaceutical company, highlighting his work in hedge fund management and his public commentary on investment ethics.
Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy to lead DOGE to clean up US bureaucracy: Trump
In a statement, Trump said Musk and Ramaswamy “will pave the way for my administration to dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies“.
“Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my administration to dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies — essential to the ‘save America’ movement.”
Ramaswamy, the Indian-American tech entrepreneur who withdrew his presidential bid earlier this year and backed Trump in the race to the White House, said, “We will not go gently.”
