Ohio Senator J.D. Vance emerged as a significant political figure about eight years ago following 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 recently endorsed Vance for the vice-presidency, praising his memoir, legal expertise, and venture capitalism experience, specifically mentioning his work with Peter Thiel.
Trump stated on his social media platform, Truth Social, “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.”
Vance, a 39-year-old Iraq War veteran, was elected to the Senate in 2022 with the support of Trump and the financial backing of Peter Thiel. Vance first met Thiel during his initial year at Yale Law School.
After spending three years at Sidley Austin LLP, Vance moved to San Francisco, where he began forming connections with Silicon Valley’s elite as a venture capitalist. He worked briefly for Thiel’s Mithril Capital and then joined Revolution, a venture capital firm founded by AOL’s Stephen Case in Washington, D.C. His work at Revolution involved deals in military technology and artificial intelligence.
In 2019, Vance launched Narya Capital, a venture capital fund with investors like Thiel, Marc Andreessen, and Eric Schmidt. His work at Narya became a key talking point during his Senate campaign in 2022, though claims about job creation were contested. Politico reported that Narya was among 46 firms involved in creating 750 jobs, not the 1,000 jobs Vance cited.
Thiel’s $15 million donation to Vance’s 2022 Senate campaign was the largest amount ever given to a single Senate candidate.
Vance focuses on dismantling what he calls the “Big Tech Oligarchy,” targeting companies like Facebook and Google and advocating for strong antitrust rules. He also supports blockchain technology to challenge social media giants.
In line with Trump, Vance champions domestic natural gas and oil production and opposes electric vehicles and solar power. Ohio ranks sixth in U.S. gas production and is the eighth-largest coal consumer. Vance, who denies climate change and criticizes electric vehicles, has received over $352,000 from oil and gas lobbies.