Here's how JD Vance twisted and turned his way from humble Rust Belt beginnings into becoming a Yale-educated, best-selling author, and senator at 38

James PasleyFeb 17, 2023, 01:09 IST

JD Vance speaks at a rally at the Delaware County Fairgrounds, April 23, 2022, in Delaware, Ohio.Joe Maiorana, File/AP

JD Vance may be best-known for his memoir "Hillbilly Elegy," which was adapted into a movie for Netflix.
Vance is a venture capitalist who formally entered politics in 2021, but he's had a national presence since 2016.

Born into a tumultuous household in Ohio, JD Vance worked his way up to become a US senator in 2022 at the age of 38.

In a short period of time, Vance went from the Marines to Yale Law School to working as a venture capitalist in Silicon Valley to becoming the best-selling author of "Hillbilly Elegy." Now, he's a successful Republican politician.

Vance has written a memoir about his life and beliefs, but has been criticized for changing his political views when it best serves him. For instance, he went from decrying former President Donald Trump to taking his political endorsement in 2021, and in January he even wrote about why he would be voting for Trump in 2024.

Here's his life and career until now.

James David Bowman, later known as JD Vance, was born in 1984 in Middletown, a poor Rust Belt town in Ohio.

The childhood home of JD Vance, the author of "Hillbilly Elegy" in Middleton, Ohio.Dan Sewell/AP

Vance's father left his family, and his mother had a drug and alcohol addiction. He ended up spending a lot of his childhood with his grandparents in Jackson, Kentucky.

AK Steel's Middletown Works plant in Middletown, Ohio.Al Behrman, File/AP

To earn money, Vance worked at a local grocery store. He wrote about the class divide and the impact of social welfare he saw while there in his memoir. He resented food stamp recipients for being able to afford mobile phones and other luxuries his family couldn't.

JD Vance speaks to supporters after winning the primary, at an election night event at Duke Energy Convention Center on May 3, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio.Drew Angerer/Getty Images

To earn money, Vance worked at a local grocery store. He wrote about the class divide and the impact of social welfare he saw while there in his memoir. He resented food stamp recipients for being able to afford mobile phones and other luxuries his family couldn't.

After high school, Vance joined the Marines. He served for four years and went to Iraq. He wasn't involved in any combat but would go around with units, take photos, and write stories about what was going on.

JD Vance, author of the best-selling memoir "Hillbilly Elegy," poses for a photograph after a luncheon with teachers, before his talk and book signing at Miami University's student center in Oxford, Ohio.Dan Sewell/AP

After high school, Vance joined the Marines. He served for four years and went to Iraq. He wasn't involved in any combat but would go around with units, take photos, and write stories about what was going on.

He told The American Conservative that his time with the Marines was an education in "character and self-management." He was taught to succeed through adversity by repetition and that in turn made him more confident.

JD Vance in 2022.Gaelen Morse/Reuters

He told The American Conservative that his time with the Marines was an education in "character and self-management." He was taught to succeed through adversity by repetition and that in turn made him more confident.

After the Marines, Vance went to Ohio State University where he graduated summa cum laude with a degree in political science and philosophy.

Ohio State UniversityStephen Zenner/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

He later enrolled at Yale Law School. In his memoir, he wrote about how out of place he felt there. He said he didn't know things his peers took for granted — for instance, that people could work in finance, or that you should wear a suit to a job interview.

JD Vance speaks at a rally in Mason, Ohio, on Jan. 30, 2022.Jeff Dean/AP

He later enrolled at Yale Law School. In his memoir, he wrote about how out of place he felt there. He said he didn't know things his peers took for granted — for instance, that people could work in finance, or that you should wear a suit to a job interview.

During his first year, he attended a talk by PayPal founder Peter Thiel. Thiel told the students they were often falling into isolating jobs that weren't actually helping society. Vance called his talk the "most significant moment" of his time at university.

Peter Thiel.BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

During his first year, he attended a talk by PayPal founder Peter Thiel. Thiel told the students they were often falling into isolating jobs that weren't actually helping society. Vance called his talk the "most significant moment" of his time at university.

Vance had several mentors, including David Frum, former President George W. Bush's speechwriter; and Yale law professor Amy Chua, who had written a memoir called "The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother." It was Chua who convinced Vance to write his own memoir.

Amy Chau signs copies of "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother" at Barnes & Noble, 86th & Lexington on March 10, 2011 in New York City.Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images

Vance had several mentors, including David Frum, former President George W. Bush's speechwriter; and Yale law professor Amy Chua, who had written a memoir called "The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother." It was Chua who convinced Vance to write his own memoir.

He also met his wife Usha Chilukuri there in 2013 when the pair organized a discussion group about social decline in white America.

JD Vance embraces his wife Usha Vance after winning the primary, at an election night event at Duke Energy Convention Center on May 3, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio.Drew Angerer/Getty Images

After graduating in 2013, Vance worked as a clerk for Senator John Cornyn and US District Judge David Bunning before he got a job working at Mithril Capital, a venture capital firm founded by Thiel.

JD Vance, author of the book "Hillbilly Elegy," poses for a portrait photograph near the US Capitol building in Washington, D.C., January 27, 2017.Astrid Riecken For The Washington Post via Getty Images

After graduating in 2013, Vance worked as a clerk for Senator John Cornyn and US District Judge David Bunning before he got a job working at Mithril Capital, a venture capital firm founded by Thiel.

In 2016, Vance published his memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy," when he was 31. The book was a New York Times bestseller. The American Conservative called it "an American classic" and "the most important book of 2016."

A copy of Hillbilly Elegy.Jeff Dean/AP

In 2016, Vance published his memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy," when he was 31. The book was a New York Times bestseller. The American Conservative called it "an American classic" and "the most important book of 2016."

The book gave Vance a national platform. It was often referred to by commentators as a way to understand America's white working class, and in doing so, help understand Trump's popularity.

JD Vance and Seth Meyers in 2017.Lloyd Bishop/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images

The book gave Vance a national platform. It was often referred to by commentators as a way to understand America's white working class, and in doing so, help understand Trump's popularity.

Not everyone agreed with what he had written. Vance was often particularly critical of Appalachians in his memoir, calling them lazy and that "many folks talk about working more than they actually work."

JD Vance in an elevator in 2022.Gaelen Morse/Reuters

Not everyone agreed with what he had written. Vance was often particularly critical of Appalachians in his memoir, calling them lazy and that "many folks talk about working more than they actually work."

Vance began to get regular slots on Fox News, especially on host Tucker Carlson's program. He would later appear as a guest on Steve Bannon's podcast.

JD Vance talks with members of the media after speaking at a campaign stop in Mount Vernon, Ohio, November 6, 2022.Gaelen Morse/Reuters

Though Vance said he understood Trump's popularity, he didn't support him at first. On NPR in 2016, he said he couldn't "stomach" Trump and that he thought he was leading "the white working class to a very dark place."

JD Vance and Donald Trump Jr. host an event ahead of next month's primary election in Independence, Ohio, U.S., April 20, 2022.Gaelen Morse/Reuters

Though Vance said he understood Trump's popularity, he didn't support him at first. On NPR in 2016, he said he couldn't "stomach" Trump and that he thought he was leading "the white working class to a very dark place."

The book didn't help his work at Mithril either. Former colleagues told Insider in 2021 that "it never seemed like he was even working," since he was always promoting the book.

JD Vance during an interview at the National Book Festival in 2017.Salwan Georges/The Washington Post/Getty Images

The book didn't help his work at Mithril either. Former colleagues told Insider in 2021 that "it never seemed like he was even working," since he was always promoting the book.

In 2017, after less than a year at Mithril, Vance left Silicon Valley and moved back to Ohio. He founded a non-profit to fight opioids called Our Ohio Renewal.

JD Vance arrives for a rally hosted by former President Donald Trump at the Delaware County Fairgrounds on April 23, 2022 in Delaware, Ohio.Drew Angerer/Getty Images

In 2017, he was asked about entering politics. While he wasn't completely ruling it out, he said working on the opioid crisis and bringing new business to the Rust Belt was more important to him at the time.

Republican U.S. Senate candidate JD Vance arrives onstage after winning the primary, at an election night event at Duke Energy Convention Center on May 3, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio.Drew Angerer/Getty Images

In 2017, he was asked about entering politics. While he wasn't completely ruling it out, he said working on the opioid crisis and bringing new business to the Rust Belt was more important to him at the time.

He worked at a company called Revolution, which was founded by former AOL Chairman Steve Case, where they attempted to harness funds in otherwise overlooked parts of America, including Ohio.

JD Vance in 2017 in Idaho.Drew Angerer/Getty Images

He worked at a company called Revolution, which was founded by former AOL Chairman Steve Case, where they attempted to harness funds in otherwise overlooked parts of America, including Ohio.

In 2019, after raising $93 million, Vance launched Narya Capital, a venture capital firm that was funded by his old boss Peter Thiel. Like his boss's firm, it was named after a "Lord of the Rings" reference.

JD Vance campaigns in Marietta, Ohio, on February 16, 2022.Gaelen Morse/Reuters

In 2019, after raising $93 million, Vance launched Narya Capital, a venture capital firm that was funded by his old boss Peter Thiel. Like his boss's firm, it was named after a "Lord of the Rings" reference.

In 2021, Vance announced he was running for the Senate. He launched his campaign in a Middletown factory.

JD Vance arrives onstage during a rally hosted by former President Donald Trump at the Delaware County Fairgrounds on April 23, 2022 in Delaware, Ohio.Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Mark Zuckerberg may not have been funding Vance, but he was being funded by Thiel. This time, Thiel donated $10 million to Vance's campaign. He also arranged a meeting with him and Trump at Mar-a-Lago where they reportedly smoothed out their differences.

Peter Thiel holding hundred dollar bills.Marco Bello/Getty Images

Mark Zuckerberg may not have been funding Vance, but he was being funded by Thiel. This time, Thiel donated $10 million to Vance's campaign. He also arranged a meeting with him and Trump at Mar-a-Lago where they reportedly smoothed out their differences.

Despite Vance's national profile, he wasn't a household name in Ohio. He struggled at first and remained behind in most polls.

JD Vance waits backstage before speaking during a campaign rally at The Trout Club on April 30, 2022 in Newark, Ohio.Drew Angerer/Getty Images

But in April 2022, he came out in support of Trump. He called him a "great president" and said "when the facts change you gotta change your mind." In doing so, Vance would secure Trump's endorsement.

JD Vance and former President Donald Trump shake hands in 2022.Drew Angerer/Getty Images

But in April 2022, he came out in support of Trump. He called him a "great president" and said "when the facts change you gotta change your mind." In doing so, Vance would secure Trump's endorsement.

But not without Trump making him work for it first. During the campaign, Trump said, "JD is kissing my ass he wants my support so much."

Former President Donald Trump listens as JD Vance speaks during a rally in Youngstown, Ohio, U.S., September 17, 2022.Gaelen Morse/Reuters

In May, he secured the Republican nomination with 32% of the vote.

JD Vance after winning the Republican primary in 2022.Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Jessica Taylor, editor of Cook Political Report, told The Guardian: "He won the primary thanks to Trump's help, and it just felt like he went into the witness protection program."

Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, attends the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing titled Strengthening Airline Operations and Consumer Protections in Russell Building on Thursday, February 9, 2023.Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Jessica Taylor, editor of Cook Political Report, told The Guardian: "He won the primary thanks to Trump's help, and it just felt like he went into the witness protection program."

Although Ohio was predominantly Republican since Trump, Vance's campaign wasn't as intensive and on-the-ground as many Republicans wanted. He made few campaign appearances, and his win in Ohio against Democrat Tim Ryan wasn't guaranteed.

JD Vance talks on the phone backstage during a rally hosted by former President Donald TrumpDrew Angerer/Getty Images

Although Ohio was predominantly Republican since Trump, Vance's campaign wasn't as intensive and on-the-ground as many Republicans wanted. He made few campaign appearances, and his win in Ohio against Democrat Tim Ryan wasn't guaranteed.

In June, he appealed to his supporters by celebrating the Supreme Court overturning the landmark decision of Roe v. Wade.

JD Vance arrives onstage during a rally hosted by former President Donald TrumpDrew Angerer/Getty Images

In September, he and Ryan were tied in the polls. It got so close that super PAC Senate Leadership Fund, aligned with Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell, had to cut $8 million worth of ad funding reserved for its Senate race in Arizona to boost Vance's ads and ensure the Republicans didn't lose what had suddenly become a close race.

JD Vance in 2022.Tom E. Puskar/AP

In September, he and Ryan were tied in the polls. It got so close that super PAC Senate Leadership Fund, aligned with Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell, had to cut $8 million worth of ad funding reserved for its Senate race in Arizona to boost Vance's ads and ensure the Republicans didn't lose what had suddenly become a close race.

The increased funding worked. After a final push in the last 50 days with increased appearances by Vance and more televised ads, Vance won and was elected as the US senator for Ohio in November.

JD Vance greets a supporter after winning the primary, at an election night event at Duke Energy Convention Center on May 3, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio.Drew Angerer/Getty Images

The increased funding worked. After a final push in the last 50 days with increased appearances by Vance and more televised ads, Vance won and was elected as the US senator for Ohio in November.

Vance has only been in the Senate for a few months, but he's already showing his support for the man that made his run possible. In January, he wrote an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal about why he would be voting for Trump in 2024.

Markwayne Mullin, Ted Budd, Mitch McConnell, Katie Britt, JD Vance, and Eric Schmit pose for a photo before a meeting in the US Capitol on Tuesday, November 15, 2022.Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Vance has only been in the Senate for a few months, but he's already showing his support for the man that made his run possible. In January, he wrote an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal about why he would be voting for Trump in 2024.

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Here's how JD Vance twisted and turned his way from humble Rust Belt beginnings into becoming a Yale-educated, best-selling author, and senator at 38

James David Bowman, later known as JD Vance, was born in 1984 in Middletown, a poor Rust Belt town in Ohio.

Vance's father left his family, and his mother had a drug and alcohol addiction. He ended up spending a lot of his childhood with his grandparents in Jackson, Kentucky.

To earn money, Vance worked at a local grocery store. He wrote about the class divide and the impact of social welfare he saw while there in his memoir. He resented food stamp recipients for being able to afford mobile phones and other luxuries his family couldn't.

After high school, Vance joined the Marines. He served for four years and went to Iraq. He wasn't involved in any combat but would go around with units, take photos, and write stories about what was going on.

He told The American Conservative that his time with the Marines was an education in "character and self-management." He was taught to succeed through adversity by repetition and that in turn made him more confident.

After the Marines, Vance went to Ohio State University where he graduated summa cum laude with a degree in political science and philosophy.

He later enrolled at Yale Law School. In his memoir, he wrote about how out of place he felt there. He said he didn't know things his peers took for granted — for instance, that people could work in finance, or that you should wear a suit to a job interview.

During his first year, he attended a talk by PayPal founder Peter Thiel. Thiel told the students they were often falling into isolating jobs that weren't actually helping society. Vance called his talk the "most significant moment" of his time at university.

Vance had several mentors, including David Frum, former President George W. Bush's speechwriter; and Yale law professor Amy Chua, who had written a memoir called "The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother." It was Chua who convinced Vance to write his own memoir.

He also met his wife Usha Chilukuri there in 2013 when the pair organized a discussion group about social decline in white America.

After graduating in 2013, Vance worked as a clerk for Senator John Cornyn and US District Judge David Bunning before he got a job working at Mithril Capital, a venture capital firm founded by Thiel.

In 2016, Vance published his memoir, "Hillbilly Elegy," when he was 31. The book was a New York Times bestseller. The American Conservative called it "an American classic" and "the most important book of 2016."

The book gave Vance a national platform. It was often referred to by commentators as a way to understand America's white working class, and in doing so, help understand Trump's popularity.

Not everyone agreed with what he had written. Vance was often particularly critical of Appalachians in his memoir, calling them lazy and that "many folks talk about working more than they actually work."

Vance began to get regular slots on Fox News, especially on host Tucker Carlson's program. He would later appear as a guest on Steve Bannon's podcast.

Though Vance said he understood Trump's popularity, he didn't support him at first. On NPR in 2016, he said he couldn't "stomach" Trump and that he thought he was leading "the white working class to a very dark place."

The book didn't help his work at Mithril either. Former colleagues told Insider in 2021 that "it never seemed like he was even working," since he was always promoting the book.

In 2017, after less than a year at Mithril, Vance left Silicon Valley and moved back to Ohio. He founded a non-profit to fight opioids called Our Ohio Renewal.

In 2017, he was asked about entering politics. While he wasn't completely ruling it out, he said working on the opioid crisis and bringing new business to the Rust Belt was more important to him at the time.

He worked at a company called Revolution, which was founded by former AOL Chairman Steve Case, where they attempted to harness funds in otherwise overlooked parts of America, including Ohio.

In 2019, after raising $93 million, Vance launched Narya Capital, a venture capital firm that was funded by his old boss Peter Thiel. Like his boss's firm, it was named after a "Lord of the Rings" reference.

In 2021, Vance announced he was running for the Senate. He launched his campaign in a Middletown factory.

Mark Zuckerberg may not have been funding Vance, but he was being funded by Thiel. This time, Thiel donated $10 million to Vance's campaign. He also arranged a meeting with him and Trump at Mar-a-Lago where they reportedly smoothed out their differences.

Despite Vance's national profile, he wasn't a household name in Ohio. He struggled at first and remained behind in most polls.

But in April 2022, he came out in support of Trump. He called him a "great president" and said "when the facts change you gotta change your mind." In doing so, Vance would secure Trump's endorsement.

But not without Trump making him work for it first. During the campaign, Trump said, "JD is kissing my ass he wants my support so much."

In May, he secured the Republican nomination with 32% of the vote.

Jessica Taylor, editor of Cook Political Report, told The Guardian: "He won the primary thanks to Trump's help, and it just felt like he went into the witness protection program."

Although Ohio was predominantly Republican since Trump, Vance's campaign wasn't as intensive and on-the-ground as many Republicans wanted. He made few campaign appearances, and his win in Ohio against Democrat Tim Ryan wasn't guaranteed.

In June, he appealed to his supporters by celebrating the Supreme Court overturning the landmark decision of Roe v. Wade.

The increased funding worked. After a final push in the last 50 days with increased appearances by Vance and more televised ads, Vance won and was elected as the US senator for Ohio in November.

Vance has only been in the Senate for a few months, but he's already showing his support for the man that made his run possible. In January, he wrote an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal about why he would be voting for Trump in 2024.