While Indian-origin US Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy presents himself as a strong contender, his former employees paint a different picture, describing him as ‘neurotic, mercurial, and paranoid.’ These revelations have emerged in a recent report by Business Insider.
Aside from Ramaswamy’s ambitious policies, his former staff remember him as an unpredictable and demanding boss. According to interviews with seven former employees who worked under him at Roivant Sciences and Strive Asset Management, Ramaswamy believed that “people are put on this earth to serve him.”
One particularly unusual demand was Ramaswamy’s insistence on maintaining an extremely low office temperature, typically set at 64 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees Celsius) or even lower. His spokesperson confirmed this peculiar preference, which even extended to his hotel rooms, where Army Rangers were tasked with ensuring the temperature was to his liking before his arrival.
Despite his preference for a frigid atmosphere, Ramaswamy was known to lose his temper when his demands were not met. Former employees recall instances where he became irate when they failed to meet his expectations, even objecting when a colleague requested to leave the office early on “summer Fridays.”
Ramaswamy’s spokesperson, McLaughlin, has refuted many of these claims, asserting that Ramaswamy does not believe people exist to serve him but rather to serve the missions they undertake. She also disputed the allegations of him losing his temper or using inappropriate language with employees.
Ramaswamy, who is running as a Republican candidate for the 2024 US Presidential election, has recently made headlines with his controversial proposals, including plans to disband several major federal agencies and cut down the federal workforce by 75% if he assumes office. Despite the unconventional behavior described by some former staff, Ramaswamy remains a prominent figure in the political arena.
