Vivek Ramaswamy, a 37-year-old CEO of Indian origin, is vying for the US presidency in 2024, but who is he?

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Vivek Ramaswamy, an Indian-origin entrepreneur in the healthcare and tech sectors, has announced his candidacy for the 2024 United States presidential elections. Following Nikki Haley, Ramaswamy has emerged as a Republican challenger to former President Donald Trump who declared his intention to run for re-election in November 2020. Speaking to Fox News, Ramaswamy emphasised his campaign is a cultural movement to create a new dream for the next generation of Americans. His campaign is focused on the unapologetic pursuit of excellence in the country and the belief that people should get ahead based on merit rather than the colour of their skin. So, who is Vivek Ramaswamy and what are his plans for the 2024 US presidential elections?

Born to Indian immigrants in Ohio, Ramaswamy studied biology at Harvard and obtained a law degree from Yale. He started his career as a biotech investor and went on to found the pharmaceutical research company Roivant Sciences in 2014, where he made hundreds of millions of dollars. Ramaswamy is also the executive chairman of Strive, an asset management firm that aims to convince companies to shun politics and social issues. Strive is financially backed by the likes of Peter Thiel and Bill Ackerman.

According to a Forbes report in 2016, Ramaswamy’s net worth was $600 million. Dubbed the “CEO of Anti-Woke Inc” by The New Yorker, Ramaswamy is the author of the book Woke, Inc: Inside Corporate America’s Social Justice Scam. He is an anti-ESG crusader who warns about the threat of “wokeism” and socially responsible investing.

Ramaswamy’s campaign is based on the idea that merit should be the primary factor in determining success in America. He believes in putting “merit” back into “America” in every aspect of life. Ramaswamy’s candidacy is likely to attract attention as he is a successful entrepreneur with a track record of building successful companies. As an anti-ESG crusader, his views are likely to resonate with many Republicans who see ESG as a threat to traditional business practices. It remains to be seen whether he can make significant inroads into the Republican Party and pose a serious challenge to Trump.