Ohio Senator J.D. Vance transitioned from relative obscurity to political prominence about eight years ago with the release of his memoir “Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis.” Now, he is being considered as a potential vice president of the United States.
Former President Donald Trump endorsed Vance for the vice presidency, highlighting his memoir, legal background, and experience as a venture capitalist working with figures like Peter Thiel. Trump announced on Truth Social that Vance’s business background in technology and finance, along with his campaign focus on American workers and farmers, makes him an ideal candidate.
Vance, a 39-year-old Iraq War veteran, was elected to the Senate in 2022 with significant support from Trump and financial backing from Peter Thiel, whom Vance met during his first year at Yale Law. After a brief period at the law firm Sidley Austin LLP, Vance moved to San Francisco to work as a venture capitalist. He initially joined Thiel’s Mithril Capital and then moved to Revolution, a venture capital firm founded by AOL’s Stephen Case.
In his role at Revolution, Vance closed deals in military technology and artificial intelligence and built a network of connections with AI startups and influential figures like Chase Koch of Koch Industries. He later founded Narya Capital in 2019, attracting investors such as Thiel, Marc Andreeson, and Eric Schmidt.
During his 2022 Senate campaign, Vance highlighted his work at Narya Capital, claiming it had created nearly 1,000 jobs in Ohio. This claim, however, was disputed, with Politico reporting that Narya was one of 46 firms contributing to investments that created 750 jobs. Vance’s connections played a significant role in his campaign, with Thiel donating $15 million to support him — the largest amount ever given to a single Senate candidate.
Vance’s political platform includes a strong stance against the dominance of major social media companies like Facebook and Google, advocating for stringent antitrust regulations. He also supports blockchain technology for its potential to challenge social media giants. Additionally, Vance is a proponent of domestic natural gas and oil production while opposing electric vehicles and solar power. He has been a vocal critic of climate change concerns and has received over $352,000 from oil and gas lobbyists.
Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated the length of time J.D. Vance worked for Sidley Austin LLP. It was nine months, not three years.