Who is Vivek Ramaswamy? Indian-American could become US's third-richest elected official with $2.3 billion net worth

Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, 41, is currently campaigning for the Ohio gubernatorial election in the United States. If successful, he would become the third-richest elected official in the nation, with a net worth of $2.2 billion, according to Forbes. Ramaswamy, a Republican, competes against Democratic candidate Amy Acton and Libertarian candidate Don Kissick.

Should he win, Ramaswamy would be the first Indian-American governor of Ohio and second-richest governor in the US, trailing only US President Donald Trump and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. His wealth primarily stems from his biopharmaceutical company, Roivant Sciences, which has seen significant growth in 2025 following positive results from its drug candidate for an autoimmune disease.

Ramaswamy has been selling shares of Roivant, raising around $1.2 billion from sales over the past year, including $400 million in the first quarter of 2026. He also owns an estimated $130 million stake in Chapter, a company that assists with Medicare services. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, to parents who immigrated from Kerala, Ramaswamy gained attention during the 2024 US presidential election after withdrawing his candidacy and endorsing Trump.

He was later chosen to co-lead the Department of Government Efficiency with Musk but stepped down to focus on his gubernatorial bid. Ramaswamy announced his campaign for Ohio governor in February 2025 and secured the Republican nomination in May 2026, now vying to replace DeWine, who is ineligible for re-election due to term limits.