Ohio Senator J.D. Vance rose to prominence about eight years ago when his memoir “Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis” was published. Now, he could potentially become the next vice president of the United States.
Former President Donald Trump announced on Monday that Vance is the candidate “best suited” for the vice presidency, citing his memoir, legal expertise, and venture capitalist experience with notable figures like Peter Thiel.
“J.D. has had a very successful business career in Technology and Finance, and now, during the Campaign, will be strongly focused on the people he fought so brilliantly for: the American Workers and Farmers in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Minnesota, and far beyond,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, the platform owned by his Trump Media Technology Group.
Vance, 39, a veteran of the Iraq War, was elected to the Senate in 2022 with the support of Trump and financial backing from Peter Thiel, his former boss and ally. Vance first connected with Thiel during his initial year at Yale Law School.
After working three years at Sidley Austin LLP, Vance moved to San Francisco to begin his career as a venture capitalist, establishing connections with powerful figures in Silicon Valley. He worked briefly at Thiel’s Mithril Capital and then joined Stephen Case’s venture capital firm, Revolution, in Washington, D.C.
While at Revolution, Vance facilitated deals involving military technology and artificial intelligence, according to Business Insider. He also built a network of influential contacts, including AI startup founders and Chase Koch, the billionaire son of Koch Industries’ CEO. In 2019, he launched Narya Capital, a venture capital fund that attracted investments from Thiel, Marc Andreessen, and Eric Schmidt.
Vance’s role at Narya became a key talking point during his 2022 Senate campaign. He highlighted the job creation facilitated by his firm, although the figure of nearly 1,000 jobs in Ohio was later disputed, with Politico reporting that Narya was one of 46 firms that contributed to the creation of 750 jobs.
During his 2022 campaign, Vance’s connections proved beneficial. Thiel contributed $15 million to his campaign, marking the largest donation ever given to a single Senate candidate.
Vance’s primary goals include dismantling the “Big Tech Oligarchy,” particularly targeting social media giants like Facebook and Google for their marketplace dominance. At a Y Combinator event earlier this year, Vance expressed support for strong antitrust regulations and indicated that blockchain technology could challenge the social media industry.
Vance also advocates for increased domestic natural gas and oil production and opposes electric vehicles and solar power, aligning with Trump’s views. Ohio ranks sixth in the U.S. for gas production and is the eighth-largest coal consumer. Vance, who has dismissed climate change and referred to electric vehicles as a “scam,” has received over $352,000 from oil and gas lobbies.