Vivek Ramaswamy’s New Business Deal and What It Could Mean for Ohio

Last week, Ohio governor candidate Vivek Ramaswamy was involved in a new business deal. His company, Strive, just bought Semler Scientific, a healthcare company that makes devices used by doctors to detect cardiac disease.

At first, this might sound like normal business news. But the details raise some questions about how he operates and what that could mean if he becomes governor.

01/23/2026, written by Terra Goodnight

The Big Picture: A Pattern in His Business Deals

When they announced this deal, Strive didn’t mention Semler’s workers, operations, or the patients who use its products. Instead, Strive said it wanted the company mostly for its stockpile of Bitcoin. It also hinted it might sell or shut down parts of the healthcare business later, likely leaving workers without a job.

This fits a pattern people have seen before.

  • In biotech, Ramaswamy ran Roivant Sciences, where a drug that had already failed to work was hyped up to investors and the company raised $300 million in an IPO before the drug failed again. The hopes of Alzheimer's patients were dashed, workers were laid off and investors lost money.

  • In finance, he started Strive Capital to buy shares in companies and force them to abandon what he called “woke” policies, but Strive later shifted its focus to raising money and pushing cryptocurrency strategies, operating like a chop shop for other businesses.

In simple terms: he makes money at the top and moves on leaving others to feel the fallout.

Why This Matters for Ohio

This isn’t just about how he runs a business. It’s about how he uses power.

Ramaswamy has proposed big changes for Ohio, like ending the state income tax or rolling back property taxes. That could leave less money for schools, healthcare, and local services, especially when there’s no clear plan to replace that money. He’s also said that programs like Medicaid and Medicare are failures.

The pattern is the same: extract what can be taken at the top, let the disruption happen to someone else, and move on. Ohioans shouldn’t be left to deal with the fallout of a poorly managed government. Serving as Governor comes with a responsibility to the public, and his track record only shows a responsibility to shareholders.

Simple Takeaways

  • This is one example in a pattern of prioritizing profits over workers and communities.

  • His plans for Ohio would decimate funding for schools, healthcare, and local services.

  • Voters should think about how his business style might shape his leadership as governor, and who will pay the price.