Vivek Ramaswamy Offers His Take on How So Many Politicians Become Millionaires
Written by
Chris Adam
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Molly Sullivan
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Vivek Ramaswamy has no shortage of thoughts on politics and money. He’s familiar with both — the former Republican presidential candidate is a biotech entrepreneur. According to his website, he “started a biotech company, Roivant Sciences, where he oversaw the development of five drugs that went on to become FDA-approved.”
According to Forbes, “Ramaswamy is one of the richest thirty-somethings in America. Unlike Donald Trump, he’s entirely self-made.” In addition to his work in the biotech field, Ramaswamy became a billionaire through his expertise in finance.
Ramaswamy has shared his thoughts on how politicians become millionaires. It is hardly an exclusive club — according to a report from Open Secrets in 2020, “More than half of those in Congress are millionaires.”
Ramaswamy Makes His Position on Political Influence Plain
In an interview posted to Instagram, Ramaswamy told Yorkshire Trading Academy that many politicians become millionaires by being paid under the table. Ramaswamy went on to say that many of those deals are hiding in plain sight.
Ramaswamy, who has been at the center of his own controversies, gave some examples of the deals he said have helped politicians become millionaires:
- Taking a seat on the board of a major company for which you have “done favors” while serving as a lawmaker. He accused Nikki Haley of engaging in this practice with Boeing, to the tune of “hundreds of millions of dollars.”
- Starting a military contracting firm after representing the United States at the United Nations and “exploiting your connections” to advocate for policies that benefit your new firm, which he also indicated Haley was guilty of doing.
- Having your children involved in international deals while you as a lawmaker are deciding aid packages for those same countries. Ramaswamy pointed to President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, sitting on the board of a Ukrainian company collecting $5 million without having any requisite qualifications. Ramaswamy is likely referring to the Burisma issue, as NBC outlined.
Ramaswamy went on to say that these types of deals happen often, involving both Republicans and Democrats. In fact, both Biden and former President Donald Trump have been criticized for their own deals, international engagements and the actions of their children — though it should be noted that Ramaswamy has endorsed former President Trump in the past.
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