Ramaswamy Has a High-Profile Perch and a Raft of Potential Conflicts Ramaswamy Has a High-Profile Perch and a Raft of Potential Conflicts
The New York Times
Vivek Ramaswamy, Elon Musk’s partner in an effort to cut government costs, could make decisions that ultimately make him and his investors richer.
Vivek Ramaswamy is the less famous and less wealthy half of the duo of billionaires that President-elect Donald J. Trump has designated to slash government costs.
His better-known co-leader, Elon Musk, stands to benefit from the job in ways that are numerous and glaring. Mr. Musk’s companies have tremendous influence, billions of dollars in government contracts and ongoing battles with federal regulators.
Less attention has been paid to the potential conflicts that could stem from Mr. Ramaswamy’s complex web of financial interests, which span biotechnology, finance and other holdings.
At 39, he is one of the world’s youngest billionaires, having made his fortune in the pharmaceutical industry. As he reaches into the federal bureaucracy that shapes the fortunes of American companies, he could recommend spending cuts that ultimately make him and his investors richer.
Mr. Ramaswamy, who owns a stake currently valued at nearly $600 million in a biotechnology company he started, has called for changes at the Food and Drug Administration that would speed up drug approvals. He could help shape energy policy to promote fossil fuels, making it more attractive for investors to put their money into an oil-and-gas fund, provocatively called DRLL, offered by his investment firm.
And if he were to boost officials who embrace cryptocurrency, it may benefit his firm’s new Bitcoin business.
