Vice presidential candidate JD Vance, aged 40, has experienced a financial transformation since leaving behind the adversity of his upbringing, chronicled in his popular 2016 memoir "Hillbilly Elegy." Federal disclosure forms from August indicate that Vance's net worth falls within the range of $4.8 million to $11.3 million, a substantial difference from his running mate, former President Donald Trump, whose estimated fortune is $6.7 billion, but notably above the average American household net worth of $193,000.
After attending Yale Law School and establishing connections with influential individuals like Peter Thiel, the co-founder of PayPal, Vance entered the venture capital realm, kickstarting his fortune. Vance expressed a desire for stability and family togetherness, stemming from the financial unpredictability of his childhood when constantly changing addresses were emblematic of economic instability. His career in venture capital, initiated at Thiel's firm Mithril Capital, laid the foundation for his current financial standing.