JD Vance Net Worth 2025 Early Life, Education, Birthdate, Salary Who is Hillbilly Elegy?

January 5, 2025 by Penny Gusner

Birthdate: Aug 2, 1984 (39 years old)

Birthplace: Middletown, Ohio, U.S.

Gender: Male

Category: Lifestyle

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• J.D. Vance is running for vice president on former president Donald Trump’s ticket in the 2025 election.
• Vance is a Republican senator from Ohio who was elected in 2022.
• Vance is an author, venture capitalist, and investor with an estimated net worth of $10 million, according to Forbes.
• Vance wrote a best-selling memoir in 2016 called “Hillbilly Elegy” about his upbringing in a small town in Ohio.

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What is J.D. Vance’s Net Worth and Salary?

J.D. Vance, a venture capitalist, author, and Republican politician, has amassed a net worth of $6.7 billion.

Salary

In his role as a freshman US Senator, J.D. Vance earns $174,000 annually. Additionally, Vance is a co-founder and partner at Narya Capital, a venture capital firm. His latest financial disclosure indicates that he receives a yearly salary of $327,000 from Narya.

JD Vance’s Financial Investments

Vance, aged 39 and living in Middletown, accumulated his wealth through a range of assets. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Vance holds more than 100 investments in his portfolio, each averaging between $15,000 and $15,000. Some noteworthy investments include:

• $250,000 – $500,000 in Huntington National Bank
• $100,000 – $250,000 in a Robin Hood checking account
• Five Goldman Sachs CDs, collectively valued between $500,000 and $1.05 million
• $500,000 – $1 million in QQQ Exchange Traded Fund shares
• $100,000 – $200,000 in 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF shares
• $100,000 – $250,000 in Bitcoin through Coinbase
• $50,000 – $100,000 in Walmart stock

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Senatorial and Potential Vice Presidential Salary

According to the National Taxpayers Union Foundation (NTUF), Vance earned $174,000 per year as a U.S. Senator. NTUF data shows that if he becomes Vice President, his yearly salary will increase to $235,100.

Earnings from “Hillbilly Elegy” and Speaking Engagements

Vance gained significant fame with the release of his memoir “Hillbilly Elegy” in 2016. Business Insider reported in 2021 that Vance earned $475,308 from the book. In addition, he received close to $70,000 for speaking engagements at eighteen different colleges and organizations post-publication. The Associated Press stated that these earnings stemmed from his political speeches, seminars, and commencement talks. Despite praising education during these events, Vance, a graduate of Yale Law School and Ohio State University, criticized colleges for opposing conservative beliefs as he ventured into politics.

Who is Hillbilly Elegy?

A Yale Law student reflects on his family’s history and his own future after returning to his Appalachian hometown.

Release date: 11 November 2020 (USA)

Director: Ron Howard

Adapted from: Hillbilly Elegy

Distributed by: Netflix

Box office: $38,852

Budget: $45 million

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How much did JD Vance make from ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ book, movie?

While “Hillbilly Elegy” received praise for its exploration of self-reliance, some criticized it for presenting a stereotypical and inauthentic portrayal of Appalachia. Despite the criticisms, the book became a bestseller, leading to speaking engagements at 18 universities for Vance, who reportedly earned over $70,000 from these visits. In terms of book royalties, Vance disclosed earning $347,752 in 2021 from HarperCollins, excluding any income from the Netflix movie deal. His earnings increased to $475,380 when he announced his foray into politics.

Political Career and Senate Victory

With the backing of Donald Trump, Vance emerged victorious in November 2022 in the race for Ohio’s U.S. Senate seat. He defeated Democrat Tim Ryan to succeed Senator Rob Portman, who had previously occupied the position before retiring. The nation closely monitored this election, as Republicans consider retaining the seat crucial for maintaining their Senate majority. The Cincinnati Enquirer noted that Ryan’s significant funding and the intense GOP primary race kept the competition tight until the final moments.

Real Estate

JD and Usha purchased a residence in Cincinnati, Ohio in June 2018 for $1.4 million. The property spans over 2 acres and includes a 4,700-square-foot mansion with five bedrooms and five bathrooms, constructed in 1858. JD’s financial declaration revealed that he acquired the property using a mortgage ranging from $500,000 to $1 million from Navy Federal Credit Union, with a fixed 30-year rate of 3.875%. Additionally, they own a townhouse in Washington D.C. acquired in 2014 for $590,000, which they occasionally rent out for $3,000 per month.

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Early Life and Education

J.D. Vance, originally named James Donald Bowman, was born on August 2, 1984, in Middletown, Ohio. Raised by his grandparents, James and Bonnie, who he fondly referred to as Mamaw and Papaw, Vance attended Middletown High School before joining the US Marine Corps and serving in the Iraq War. He later graduated from Ohio State University in 2009 with a BA in political science and philosophy and earned his JD from Yale Law School in 2013.

Career Beginnings in Law and Finance

Vance started his professional journey at a corporate law firm before transitioning to San Francisco to venture into the city’s technology sector as a venture capitalist. He held a principal position at Mithril Capital, which was founded by entrepreneur Peter Thiel, before moving on to join Revolution, an investment firm based in Washington, DC, and co-founding Narya Capital in Cincinnati.

Hillbilly Elegy

Vance gained fame in 2016 with his memoir “Hillbilly Elegy,” a New York Times Best Seller. The book explores his upbringing in Middletown, Ohio, and the economic challenges faced by his family in Appalachia. It sparked debate for its portrayal of working-class values during a controversial election year. Adapted into a film in 2020 by Ron Howard, starring Amy Adams and Glenn Close.

Hillbilly Elegy Royalties

Vance’s financial disclosures show the royalties he received from publisher Harper Collins for his book Hillbilly Elegy.

• 2020: $347,752
• 2021: $475,380

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Narya Capital

In 2020, J.D. founded a venture capital company named Narya Capital with an initial funding of $93 million from Silicon Valley billionaires like Peter Thiel and Eric Schmidt. Narya has invested in various sectors including gene therapy, farming, and space security, with approximately twelve investments made so far. J.D. values his personal stake in these investments between $100,000 and $250,000 each, as per his 2022 financial disclosure. One of the investments, AppHarvest, has already declared bankruptcy. Below are some of the investments known to have been made by Narya:

• Hallow: A prayer app backed by Mark Wahlberg.
• Rumble: The anti-Youtube streaming video platform.
• Chapter: A digital service aimed at helping senior citizens understand their Medicare plans and options.
• Branch: An online insurance company.
• Strive: An asset management company established by Vivek Ramaswamy, a conservative from Ohio who was once considered as a potential vice presidential candidate.
• Kriya Therapeutics: A gene therapy biotech company.

Trump VP Pick

J.D. Vance was selected as Donald Trump’s running mate for Vice President on July 14, 2025.

Personal Life

Vance married Usha Chilukuri in 2014, his former classmate at Yale Law, and they have three children together. Although he was brought up Protestant, Vance was baptized and confirmed in the Catholic Church in 2019.

JD Vance Images