An old clip of Indian biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has resurfaced on social media after President-elect Donald Trump named him to co-lead the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with billionaire Elon Musk.
The viral video of Ramaswamy’s graduation speech, which was captured nearly 20 years ago, has gone viral on social media, with X users appreciating him, stating, “This is what an IB education should yield.”
The video comes as both Musk and Ramaswamy will take over the charge to head the DOGE from January, 2025.
Following his appointment announcement, the Indian-American politician declared in a post, “We will not go gently.” In his post, he tagged Tesla CEO Musk as well.
Ramaswamy gives bold speech at his graduation ceremony
In the clip, an 18-year-old Ramaswamy can be heard boldly addressing the crowd during his high school graduation.
He urged his friends to reflect on the journey ahead, stating that “I have been racing my entire high school career but now, when we are finally crossing the finish line, I wish I could have stopped, just a little earlier, to catch a breath of the fresh air around me.”
Using a quotation from his English class, Ramaswamy expressed his mixed emotion associated with completing his graduation. He remembered, “How am I supposed to feel right now?” he asked his classmates.
Emphasizing that it “was not luck” that got them into St Xavier, he said: “We’re here because of our good work and God’s help and the sole end of that work shouldn’t be in achieving some great reward, rather it should be in the work itself. In a way, to give, and not to count the cost.”
He then proceeded to discuss the definition of the word “commencement”, pointing out that it comes from the French word which means “to begin.”
“However, we use the same word for tonight, which marks the end. So, which is it really?” he asked, adding that its answer lies in looking at the experience they had at St Xavier as their time here was merely the start of a much longer journey.
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Internet reacts
Reacting to his video, one of admirers wrote: “18-year-old Vivek looks more ready for politics than most politicians today.”
“This is what a good education from a good college can do for you. And here we are, in a time when people casually say you don’t need college,” another stated.
“Wow. The confidence is mind blowing,” a third user chimed in.
On August 9, 1985,Ramaswamy was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Kerala’s Tamil-speaking Brahmin parents. He graduated from Yale Law School after earning a degree in biology from Harvard University.
Before graduating from Yale, he claimed to have made millions of dollars as a hedge fund investor. He established the biotech business Roivant Sciences in 2014, which bought the patents for underdeveloped medications from larger enterprises. In 2021, he left his position as CEO.
According to Forbes, his net worth is estimated to be around $630 million by 2023.
