It looks like billionaire Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy is padding out his household staff. A remarkable job listing on a staffing web site that caters to hyperwealthy families is seeking a nanny at an eye-popping annual salary of $100,000 or more — and the details in the posting point squarely at Ramaswamy, who has two young sons.
Anyone who takes a job as Ramaswamy's nanny may be in for a stressful ride. Insider previously reported that the pharma baron can be high-maintenance and persnickety, demanding his personal staff operate with near military efficiency.
Insider found the listing on EstateJobs.com, a specialized job board for wealthy patrons to look for butlers, private chefs, chauffeurs, and other household staff.
"Curiosity, adventure, and constant motion define the family's lifestyle," the job ad gushed. "This is an exceptional opportunity to join a high-profile family, contributing to the growth and development of their children while participating in unique family adventures."
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The job — which requires 84 to 96 hours of work a week, with seven days on and seven days off — would include coordinating with "a dedicated team including a Chef, Nannies, a Housekeeper, and Private Security" to provide "a seamless daily routine for the children," who are described as "gifted."
The nanny would be expected to "curate" their "play areas, toys, and clothing to foster a stimulating and organized environment."
The client's name isn't listed in the ad, but multiple details point strongly to the Ramaswamy family. The zip code on the ad matches the Columbus, Ohio, address on Ramaswamy's voter registration. The ages of the children to be cared for match the ages of Ramaswamy's two young sons. The ad says that the nanny will be responsible for preparing vegetarian meals for the children; Ramaswamy is vegetarian.
The ad says the family travels roughly two to three days each week, mostly by private jet. Ramaswamy's sons and wife Apoorva, a professor and physician at Ohio State University, often join him on the campaign trail, which has repeatedly taken him to Iowa and New Hampshire in recent months. Until recently, Ramaswamy was a part-owner of three private jets, according to campaign filings.
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The advertisement describes the family as "high-profile." To identify which families in the zip code could likely afford to travel by private jet and match the ad's other criteria, Insider used the county assessor's database to identify the owner of every home in the zip code that sold for more than $1 million in the past 10 years.
Of the 91 matching sales, many buyers were surgeons, lawyers, wealth managers, and professors — there was even one jazz pianist. But only Ramaswamy had a public profile of any significance.
Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for Ramaswamy's campaign, initially told Insider that, since the family does not employ live-in nannies, "I imagine it's someone else." When Insider clarified that that ad does not specify that the nannies must live with the Ramaswamy's, but that they must work 12- to 14-hour days, McLaughlin did not respond.
Less than a day after Insider informed the Ramaswamy campaign that the story would be published, the ad disappeared from EstateJobs.com. The placement agency that posted it did not respond to a request for comment.
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The high cost of child care figured briefly in the second Republican primary debate Wednesday, where Ramaswamy's sharp tongue and college debate-like flair appeared to backfire amid more pointed attacks from other candidates.
"I'm gonna go with a question that is on the minds of a lot of moms and dads and Americans and I know that you've been thinking about it: childcare costs," moderator Dana Perino asked South Carolina Senator Tim Scott. "Some families are spending up to half of their income on childcare. And they're having to decide, is it worth it for me to work or is it not going to make sense financially?"
At the tail end of Scott's response, Ramaswamy jumped in to proclaim that "the real divide is between the majority of us in this country who love the USA and share our founding ideals," like free speech and meritocracy, "and the fringe minority in the Democrat party that has a chokehold over that party."
Later in the debate, former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley remarked of Ramaswamy that "every time I hear you, I feel I get a little bit dumber."
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The former pharmaceutical entrepreneur's big spending on his own kids throws into sharp relief his skinflint plan for how average Americans should deal with rising childcare costs, which now top $10,000 annually, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation. At a campaign stop in May, Ramaswamy said he wants people to pay for childcare by borrowing from their future expected Social Security benefits.
Instead of waiting to use those benefits in retirement, Americans should be able to access Social Security "earlier on in life when you actually need it to be able to provide for your children," he said. Doing so is not currently allowed.
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