Vivek Ramaswamy, a Republican presidential contender, found himself embroiled in scrutiny for accepting a scholarship funded by the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans. Despite his assertions that he lacked the finances to attend Yale Law School, it has come to light that Ramaswamy was already well-off by the time he accepted the award.
Ramaswamy’s defense last month revolved around his need for financial assistance when he accepted the $90,000 scholarship. He claimed that as a recent Harvard graduate, the costs of Yale Law School were beyond his means. However, further investigation reveals that Ramaswamy was a millionaire at the time he received the Soros scholarship.
In his defense, Ramaswamy clarified that the scholarship in question was not directly funded by George Soros but rather by his late brother, Paul Soros. This distinction led him to emphasize that accepting the award was a sensible decision given his circumstances.
In 2011, the year of the scholarship award, Ramaswamy reported a substantial total income of $2,252,209 in his tax returns, a sum that underscored his financial well-being. The previous three years had also seen him earning a total income of $1,173,690.
Ramaswamy’s campaign spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin, addressed the matter, emphasizing that the scholarship in question was a commonplace award obtained by numerous students to pursue their higher education. McLaughlin clarified that the scholarship was funded by a relative of George Soros who had passed away.
McLaughlin further defended Ramaswamy’s decision to accept the scholarship, highlighting that anyone in his position would have done the same. She also steered the conversation towards contrasting Ramaswamy’s practicality with his fellow candidates.
Drawing attention to George Soros’ comments made at the Munich Security Conference, McLaughlin suggested that the billionaire financier had expressed preference for another candidate, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Soros characterized DeSantis as “shrewd, ruthless and ambitious,” implying his potential to secure the Republican candidacy. In this scenario, Soros speculated that former President Donald Trump might initiate a third-party campaign, resulting in a split GOP vote and a “Democratic landslide.”