Forbes reported on Sept. 20 that Republican Vivek Ramaswamy has an estimated net worth of $2.3 billion, which would make him the third-richest elected U.S. official if he becomes Ohio's governor. He built his fortune founding Roivant Sciences in 2014 and taking the company public via a SPAC in 2021, later founding Strive Asset Management after leaving Roivant in 2020. His Democratic opponent, Dr. Amy Acton, has criticized him as a "self-funding billionaire," warning that his financial resources could dominate the race.
If Elected Ohio Governor, Vivek Ramaswamy Would Be Third-Richest U.S. Elected Official, Forbes Reports
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Vivek Ramaswamy would become the third-richest elected official in the United States if he wins the Ohio governor's race, according to a Forbes profile published Sept. 20. The report estimates the 41-year-old Republican's net worth at $2.3 billion, placing him behind President Donald Trump (estimated at $7 billion) and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (estimated at $4.2 billion).
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How He Built His Wealth
Forbes notes that Ramaswamy amassed most of his wealth as the founder of the drug-development company Roivant Sciences, which he launched in 2014. Roivant completed a public listing via a Special-Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) in 2021. Ramaswamy left Roivant in 2020, published the book Woke, Inc., and later founded Strive Asset Management.
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Other Ventures
The Forbes profile also references Ramaswamy's involvement in a short-lived initiative called the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a project that he reportedly launched in association with Elon Musk; the initiative has since been discontinued.
Campaign Reaction
Ramaswamy's Democratic opponent, Dr. Amy Acton (60), has repeatedly highlighted his wealth on the campaign trail. In an April fundraising ad she called him a "self-funding billionaire," saying he "wants to buy this race with his billions" and warning that his "massive war chest" could drown out other voices in the campaign. In an August YouTube ad, Acton contrasted her impressions of everyday Ohio with what she described as a billionaire's detached view: "If you're a billionaire, Ohio looks picture perfect. But I see it on the ground. And down here, Ohioans are getting buried by a system that's rigged against them."
What This Means
If elected, Ramaswamy's wealth would place him among a very small group of extremely wealthy elected officials in the U.S. Beyond the headline figure, the Forbes profile provides context on how entrepreneurial activity, SPAC listings and asset-management businesses have contributed to modern political candidates' personal fortunes.
Reporting note: Net-worth estimates are from Forbes' Sept. 20 profile and reflect public reporting and valuations; such estimates may change over time.
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