James David Vance, famously known as JD, is a famous American politician, author, venture capitalist, and Marine veteran who served as the junior US senator since 2023 from Ohio. Known for his contribution, he became famous in 2016 with his memoir “Hillbilly Elegy,” which describes his bringing up in Middletown, Ohio.
However, beyond his achievement, JD Vance has been making headlines after being appointed by Donald Trump as his running mate in 2024. Discover more about JD Vance as this write-up dives into his life, uncovering his early life, education, net worth, biography, career, political opinion, personal life, and more.
Unknown Facts About JD Vance
- JD Vance was named James Donald Bowman at birth after his father.
- He has a net worth of $5 million.
- Vance is the first person with prominent facial hair to appear on a major American party’s presidential ticket.
- He is Donald Trump’s running mate for the upcoming elections.
Early Life and Education
James David Vance was born James Donald Bowman on August 2, 1984, to Beverly Carol and Donald Ray Bowman in Middletown, Ohio, United States. According to his birthday, he was born under the Leo astrological sign. Raised Catholic, James is of Scots-Irish descent and holds American nationality. As a toddler, his parents divorced. Following his parent’s divorce, he was adopted by his mother’s third husband, Bob Hame, who changed his last name to James David Hamel to remove his father’s name. However, James and his sister were primarily raised by their grandparents, James and Bonnie, whom they called Mamaw and Papaw.
Vance later graduated from Middletown High School in 2003 and enlisted in the US Marine Corps, serving as a military journalist with the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. During his four years of service, he was deployed to Iraq in 2005 for six months in a non-combat role, authoring articles and taking photos. He was promoted to corporal rank and attained titles, including the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.
In September 2007, Vance enrolled at the Ohio State University from September 2007 using the G.I. Bill. He graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and philosophy in August 2009. He attended Yale Law School after Ohio State University, earning a Juris Doctor degree in 2013.

Quick Wikipedia
Quick Biography | Answers |
Birthday | August 2, 1984 |
Full Name | James David Vance |
Hometown | Middletown, Ohio, United States |
Lives In | N/A |
Net Worth | $5 million |
Horoscope/Birth Sign | Leo |
Age (dead) | 40 years old |
Stage Name | JD Vance |
Profession | Politician, Author, Venture Capitalist, and Marine veteran |
Father’s Name | Donald Ray Bowman |
Mother’s Name | Beverly Carol |
Number of Children | 1 |
Children’s Name | N/A |
Husband/Boyfriend | N/A |
Wife/Girlfriend | Usha Vance (m. 2014) |
Birth Year | 1984 |
TikTok | @jd |
Facebook Handle | JD Vance |
YouTube Handle | N/A |
Twitter/X Handle | @JDVance |
Instagram Handle | @jdvance |
Snapchat Handle | N/A |
Height | N/A |
Body Measurements | N/A |
Feet/Shoe Size | N/A |
Color of Eye | Brown |
Movies Starred | N/A |
References | Wikipedia, Celebrity Net Worth, & IMBD |
Career
Venture Capital Career
JD Vance started his career by working at a corporate law firm in the United States. After relocating to San Francisco, he became a venture capitalist in the city’s tech industry. Vance then worked as a chief operating officer at a biotech company before landing a job at a venture capital company. Through this biotech company, he first interacted with Peter Thiel’s VC firm, Mithril Capital.
In 2016, Vances left the biotech company to work as a principal at Mithril Capital. The same year, he released his best-selling memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy.” In 2017, Vance left to work at the Washington, DC-based investment firm Revolution, founded by AOL co-founder Steve Case. He spent the next 18 months at Revolution, where he was the lead partner in roughly a dozen deals. In 2019, Vance co-founded the Cincinnati-based firm Narya Capital.
Hillbilly Elegy
Following years of hard work, JD Vance became famous in 2016 with his memoir “Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis.” The memoir was a New York Times Best Seller. The book describes his family’s socioeconomic hardships and upbringing in Middletown. In 2020, the book was made into a film directed by Ron Howard and starring Amy Adams and Glenn Close.
Narya Capital
In 2020, Vance launched Narya Capital, a venture capital firm, which he partnered with $93 million raised from a group of Silicon Valley billionaires, including Peter Thiel and Eric Schmidt.

Politics
During the 2021 summer, JD Vance officially started running for the US Senate seat vacated by Ohio Republican Rob Portman. He went on to win the primary and the general election in 2022, in which Donald Trump endorsed him. On July 14, 2024, J.D. Vance was chosen by Donald Trump as his running mate for the 2020 presidential elections.
Net Worth and Salary
How rich is JD Vance? JD Vance, the American venture capitalist, author, and politician, has a net worth of $5 million, reflecting his remarkable success. As a freshman US Senator, J.D. Vance’s salary is $174,000. He is also the co-founder and partner of a venture capital firm called Narya Capital. Per his most recent financial disclosure, Vance earns an annual salary of $327,000 from Narya.
Financial Disclosure
In August 2022, JD Vance’s financial disclosure listed dozens of investments as assets, with most of the 100+ investments covering roughly 20 pages in the disclosure, valued at between $1,000 and $15,000. His most significant investments include an investment in Kriya Therapies, an investment in AppHarvest, Inc., an investment in AcreTrader, Inc., and a stake in the online video platform Rumble.

Personal Life
JD Vance is a happily married man wedded to Usha Chilukuri. The couple had been classmates since at Yale Law School and later exchanged their marriage in 2014. They have three children. In 2019, Vance was baptised and confirmed in the Catholic Church, although he was raised Protestant.
Frequently Asked Questions About JD Vance
Q. How old is JD Vance?
Ans: As of 2024, Vance is 40 years old.
Q. Who is Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential running mate?
Ans: Donald Trump selected JD Vance as his running mate on July 14, 2024.
Q. What is JD Vance’s net worth?
Ans: JD Vance has a net worth of $5 million.
Q. Who authored “Hillbilly Elegy”?
Ans: Vance authored a best-selling memoir in 2016 called “Hillbilly Elegy.”
Q. Who Is JD Vance’s wife?
Ans: He is married to Usha Chilukuri.