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Andrew Yang
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Andrew Yang (born January 13, 1975) is an American businessman, attorney, lobbyist, political commentator, and author. He founded the political party and action committee Forward Party in 2021, for which he serves as co-chair alongside former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman and Michael S. Willner.[3]

Key Information

The son of Taiwanese American immigrants, Yang was born and raised in New York state. He graduated from Brown University and Columbia Law School, and found success as a lawyer and entrepreneur before gaining mainstream attention as a candidate in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries. His signature policy, a monthly universal basic income (UBI) of $1,000, was intended to offset job displacement by automation.

Media outlets described Yang as both a dark horse and a novelty candidate during the 2020 election cycle, rising from relatively unknown to a major competitor in the race.[4][5][6] Yang qualified for and participated in seven of the first eight Democratic debates. His supporters, colloquially known as the "Yang Gang", included several high-profile public figures and celebrities.[7][8][9] Yang suspended his campaign on February 11, 2020, shortly after the New Hampshire primary.[10] Afterward, he joined CNN as a political commentator, announced the creation of the political nonprofit organization Humanity Forward, and unsuccessfully ran for mayor of New York City in the 2021 Democratic primaries.[11][12][13][14]

On October 4, 2021, Andrew Yang announced his departure from the Democratic Party to become an independent politician,[15] faulting what he characterized as a system stuck in increasing polarization and saying that he is "more comfortable trying to fix the system than being a part of it".[16] Later in October 2021, Yang founded the Forward Party, a centrist political party with a stated goal of providing an alternative to the two major U.S. political parties.

Early life and education

[edit]

Andrew Yang[17] was born on January 13, 1975, to a Taiwanese-American family in Schenectady, New York.[18] His parents emigrated from Taiwan to the United States in the 1960s[19] and met in graduate school at the University of California, Berkeley.[20] Yang is of Hoklo Taiwanese descent.[21] His father graduated with a PhD in physics and worked in the research labs of IBM and General Electric, generating over 50 patents in his career.[22][20] His mother graduated with a master's degree in statistics[23] before becoming a systems administrator at a university,[24][25] and later an artist.[26] Yang has an older brother, Lawrence,[24][27] who is a psychology professor at New York University.[25][26]

Yang grew up in Somers, a town in Westchester County, New York.[19][26] He attended Phillips Exeter Academy, a private boarding school in Exeter, New Hampshire.[28][29] Yang was part of the 1992 U.S. national debate team, which competed at the world championships in London.[26] He graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy in 1992.[30]

Yang received a Bachelor of Arts degree (with a major in economics and political science) from Brown University in 1996 and a Juris Doctor degree from Columbia University in 1999.[30][31][18] He was an editor of the Columbia Law Review when he was a law student.[18]

Business career

[edit]

Early career

[edit]

After graduating from law school, Yang began his career as a corporate attorney at Davis Polk & Wardwell in New York City. Yang later described the job as "a pie-eating contest, and if you won, your prize was more pie".[32] He left the law firm after five months, which he has called "the five worst months of my life".[32]

In February 2000, Yang joined his office mate, Jonathan Philips, in launching Stargiving, a website for celebrity-affiliated philanthropic fundraising.[26][33][34] The startup had some initial success, but folded in 2002 as the dot-com bubble burst. Yang became involved in other ventures, including a party-organizing business.[26] From 2002 to 2005, he served as the vice president of a healthcare startup.[18]

Manhattan Prep

[edit]

After working in the healthcare industry for four years, Yang left MMF Systems to join his friend Zeke Vanderhoek at a small test preparation company, Manhattan Prep.[35] In 2006, Vanderhoek asked Yang to take over as CEO. While Yang was CEO, the company primarily provided GMAT test preparation. It expanded from five to 69 locations and was acquired by Kaplan, Inc. in December 2009. Yang resigned as the company's president in early 2012.[36][37][38] Yang later said it was during his time at Manhattan Prep that he became a millionaire.[22]

In September 2019 testimony before the New York City Commission on Gender Equity, former employee Kimberly Watkins testified that Yang had fired her because he felt that she would not work as hard after getting married. Yang has denied the allegations.[39] In an appearance on The View, Yang said, "I've had so many phenomenal women leaders that have elevated me and my organizations at every phase of my career, and if I was that kind of person I would never have had any success."[40]

In November, a former employee of Yang's at Manhattan GMAT filed a lawsuit against him for allegedly paying her less than her male co-workers and subsequently firing her for asking for a raise. Yang and another female employee at the company disputed the anonymous woman's claim that she was in an equivalent position to the male co-workers she cited.[41]

Venture for America

[edit]
Main article: Venture for America

Following Kaplan's acquisition of Manhattan Prep in late 2009, Yang began to work on creating a new nonprofit fellowship program, Venture for America (VFA), which he founded in 2011. The organization was intended to find and train entrepreneurs to start businesses in economically stressed cities.[30][42][43][44] VFA was launched with $200,000 and trained 40 graduates in 2012 and 69 in 2013. VFA added Columbus, Miami, San Antonio, and St. Louis in 2014, with a class of 106.[38][45]

Yang making a speech.
Yang speaks about urban entrepreneurship at the 2015 Techonomy Conference in Detroit, Michigan.

VFA quickly received national attention, including from the Obama administration. In 2011, Yang was recognized by "Champions of Change", a White House program that honored 500 people from every state for extraordinary work in their communities.[43] In 2015, Yang was named a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship.[46][47]

VFA has also been criticized for falling far short of its 100,000 job goal. An ABC News investigation found that VFA's own tally counted only 365 jobs created as of 2020 and of those The New York Times has found only 150 remain.[48][49][50] Startup, a documentary film co-directed by Cynthia Wade and Cheryl Miller Houser about six startups in Detroit launched through VFA, was released in 2016.[51] Yang stepped down from his position as CEO of VFA in March 2017 but continued to advise startups aligned with his signature policy of universal basic income during his presidential campaign.[42][52][53]

Legendary Ventures

[edit]

On August 10, 2022, Andrew Yang joined the advisory team at Legendary Ventures, an early stage venture capital firm, to drive strategic value across the firm's portfolio of consumer retail technology investments, alongside Fung Brothers Ventures.[54]

Humanity Forward

[edit]

On March 5, 2020, following the suspension of his presidential campaign, Yang announced that he was creating the nonprofit organization Humanity Forward Foundation, dedicated to promoting the ideas he campaigned on during his run, such as UBI, ranked voting, and data privacy. Yang also announced that the organization, together with The Spark of Hudson,[55] forming HudsonUP,[56] would give away $500,000 in UBI to the residents of Hudson, New York, to demonstrate UBI's benefits.[57] After the Trump administration said it was considering a form of basic income in response to the pandemic, Yang announced that he had been in touch with the White House and had offered his team's services.[58]

On March 20, CNN reported that Humanity Forward would soon spend $1 million on $1,000 monthly payments to 500 low-income households in the Bronx during the crisis. Yang tweeted that the number of households was expected to double with additional funding.[59] On August 3, Yang announced that his organization was partnering with The $1K Project, an online network that helps identify families in need, who will be awarded three months of $1,000 payments. One of the network's founders describes the program as "a bridge to reemployment or other kinds of support."[60]

Humanity Forward stated that it was not supporting or endorsing any candidate after Yang announced his run for mayor of New York City.[61]

Lobby 3

[edit]

On February 17, 2022, Yang announced the launch of a Web3 community whose membership token fees would be used to fund lobbying work on behalf of Web3, blockchain, and cryptocurrency interests on Capitol Hill.[62] The announcement has been met with some criticism in part due to Yang's continued launches of organizations in addition to the skepticism around cryptocurrency ventures.[63]

Net worth

[edit]

Media outlets provided several estimates of Yang's net worth as of mid-2019: $1 million according to Forbes,[64] between $834,000 and $2.4 million according to The Wall Street Journal,[65] and between $3 million and $4 million according to Newsweek.[66] In 2020 OpenSecrets estimated it being as low as $584,047.[67]

Political career

[edit]

Work with the Obama administration

[edit]
Andrew-Yang-Obama-Champion-Change
Yang meeting with President Obama at the White House in 2012

In 2012, Yang was named a "Champion of Change" by the Obama administration.[43] In 2015, he was selected as a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship.[47][68]

2020 presidential campaign

[edit]
Main article: Andrew Yang 2020 presidential campaign
Yang is holding a microphone while gesturing and making a speech. His book, The War on Normal People, is displayed on a table in front of him.
Yang makes a speech in New Hampshire in January 2019. His book, The War on Normal People, is displayed.

On November 6, 2017, Yang filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to run for President of the United States in 2020.[69][70] The campaign began with a small initial staff working out of an apartment owned by Yang's mother.[22] He ran on multiple slogans, including "Humanity First", "Make America Think Harder (MATH)", and "Not Left, Not Right, Forward."[71][72] Initially considered a longshot, Yang's campaign gained significant momentum in February 2019 following an appearance on the popular podcast The Joe Rogan Experience.[73][74][22] On the podcast, Yang emphasized several libertarian-leaning policies that contributed to his growing popularity, such as his support for decriminalizing drugs, data privacy rights, and ending corporate welfare, all of which focus on reducing government intervention in personal lives and the economy. He later appeared on other podcasts and shows, including The Breakfast Club, The Ben Shapiro Show, and Real Time with Bill Maher where he continued advocating for criminal justice reform, cryptocurrency regulation clarity, and nuclear energy investment, ideas that aligned with the broader goals of individual freedom and market innovation.[75][76][77] By March 2019, Yang had met the polling and fundraising thresholds to qualify for the first round of Democratic primary debates.[74][22] In August 2019, he met the higher thresholds to qualify for the second round of Democratic debates.[78] Later, he qualified for the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth Democratic debates but was unable to meet a polling threshold for the January 2020 debate.[79] He did qualify for the February 2020 debate.[80]

Yang's campaign focused largely on policy, in what Reuters described as a "technocratic approach."[81][82] Yang regularly called Donald Trump a symptom of a wider problem in the economy, rather than the problem itself.[83] According to The New York Times, Yang was known for doing interviews with conservative news outlets, and "although [Yang] tweets often, he almost never tweets about Mr. Trump."[84] This approach was exemplified by one of Yang's campaign slogans: "Not Left, Not Right, Forward."[81][82][84]

Yang holding a microphone while making a speech.
Yang speaks with attendees at the 2019 Iowa Democratic Wing Ding at Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa.

Yang's campaign was known for its heavy reliance on Internet-based campaigning.[85][86][87] The campaign was also known for its popularity online, with The New York Times calling Yang "The Internet's Favorite Candidate."[88] His campaign supporters, known informally as the Yang Gang, brought attention to his campaign on Reddit, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms, through memes and viral campaigning.[89][90] Several news outlets called Yang the most surprising candidate of the election cycle, going from relative obscurity to a national contender who outlasted several well-known politicians.[4][5][91][92][93]

Yang also received several high-profile endorsements, such as from Tesla CEO Elon Musk.[94]

Yang was at least the third American of East Asian descent to run for President of the United States, after Hiram Fong and Patsy Mink.[95][96] According to BBC, he was "one of the first and most recognizable East Asian-Americans in history to run for president."[97] He has said that he hoped his "campaign can inspire Asian Americans to be engaged in [politics]."[98]

Yang dropped out of the presidential race on February 11, 2020.[99] On March 10, 2020, Yang endorsed Joe Biden.[100]

Media coverage

[edit]
See also: Andrew Yang 2020 presidential campaign § Media coverage
A crowd of Yang supporters, many of whom are holding signs and banners
Yang's supporters form a crowd at the Liberty and Justice Celebration in Des Moines, Iowa. Yang is visible in the background.

On multiple occasions, news media disproportionally omitted Yang from election coverage or presented misleading data about his standing in polls.[101] Incidents include cases of news outlets excluding Yang from lists of 2020 Democratic candidates.[102][103][104][105][106] On August 29, 2019, a CNN infographic displaying the results of a poll included candidate Beto O'Rourke but not Yang, even though the poll showed Yang polling three times higher than O'Rourke. Yang supporters criticized media outlets for the disproportionately low coverage, including via Twitter hashtag #YangMediaBlackout.[107][108][109]

Post-campaign

[edit]

Yang dropped out of the presidential race on February 11, 2020, after a disappointing result in the New Hampshire primary.[110] He announced to his supporters, "while we did not win this election, we are just getting started."[111] Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg's counselor Howard Wolfson suggested that Yang "would make a very interesting candidate" for mayor of New York City; Yang said, "it's incredibly flattering to be thought of in that role.... We haven't ruled anything out at this point. I will say I'm more attracted to executive roles than legislative ones because I think you can get more done."[112] On March 3, Yang reiterated his interest in the mayoralty to BuzzFeed News.[113]

On February 19, Yang joined CNN as a political commentator.[114] On March 10, the night of the Michigan Democratic primary, he endorsed Joe Biden. He said he understood Sanders' supporters' frustration, but that beating Trump was the most important objective.[115] After his campaign, Yang created a podcast, Yang Speaks, where he discussed national and global issues with guest commentators.[116][117] The podcast has since been folded into his newest brand, "Forward". The podcast continues to publish new episodes weekly.

On April 29, 2020, Yang announced that he was taking legal action against the New York State Board of Elections after the state election commission voted to cancel its presidential primary. The filing stated: "This unprecedented and unwarranted move infringes the rights of Plaintiffs and all New York State Democratic Party voters, of which there are estimated to be more than six million, as it fundamentally denies them the right to choose our next candidate for the office of President of the United States."[118] In early May, the judge ruled in Yang's favor.[119]

Initially left out of the list of confirmed speakers for the 2020 Democratic National Convention, Yang expressed his dissatisfaction on Twitter stating that he "kind of expected to speak" at the event.[120] Yang spoke at the DNC on August 20, as the third speaker of the night.[121]

In September 2020, the Biden campaign hired Yang as a member of its small business advisory council.[122] In November 2020, Yang announced that he and his wife were moving to Atlanta to assist Raphael Warnock's and Jon Ossoff's campaigns in the January 2021 Georgia Senate runoff elections.[123]

In August 2020, Yang revealed to The Carlos Watson Show that he had been in contact with Joe Biden's 2020 presidential campaign about a potential role in the Biden cabinet focusing on the issue of technology in society.[124] In Yang's book Forward: Notes on the Future of Our Democracy, he writes that he interviewed with Biden's transition team for the role of United States Secretary of Labor. He also suggested that he serve in a new role, Secretary of Technology and Innovation.[125]

2021 New York City mayoral campaign

[edit]
Main article: 2021 New York City Democratic mayoral primary
Logo for Yang's 2021 mayoral campaign
Yang campaigning for Mayor in May 2021

After the suspension of his presidential campaign in February 2020, Yang was considered a potential candidate in the 2021 New York City mayoral election to succeed the outgoing Bill de Blasio,[126] with Yang himself expressing interest in seeking the office.[127] Yang had reportedly told city leaders that he intended to run for mayor[128] after polling obtained by the New York Post showed him leading the field, with 20% of New Yorkers saying they would support his candidacy.[129] Yang filed paperwork to raise money for his mayoral campaign on December 23, 2020.[130]

On January 8, 2021, Politico reported that Yang left New York City during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to stay at his second home in New Paltz, New York.[131] In an interview with The New York Times, he said, "Can you imagine trying to have two kids on virtual school in a two-bedroom apartment and then trying to do work yourself?"[132][133] Critics saw his comments as tone-deaf, as many Americans had to balance work and family during COVID-19 lockdowns.[133]

Yang formally announced his bid for mayor on January 13, 2021, on Twitter.[134] He himself had not voted in a municipal election since 2001.[135] Yang was endorsed by U.S. Representatives Grace Meng and Ritchie Torres, as well as a number of other New York state and city political figures.[136][137] He emerged as a front-runner after entering the race,[138][139] and maintained a steady lead in polls; starting in May 2021, Yang's lead shrank as Eric Adams emerged as another front-runner.[140][141] After placing fourth in first-place votes on election night, June 22, Yang conceded that he could not win the race and ended his campaign.[14] Shortly after New York city mayor Eric Adams was indicted on federal corruption charges, Yang wrote an op-ed for Newsweek stating that back when he ran against Adams in the 2021 mayoral primary he expected the charges were coming.[142]

Founding of the Forward Party

[edit]
Further information: Forward Party (United States)
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Yang speaking for Wharton Undergraduates in Public Policy at the University of Pennsylvania in April 2023

In Yang's 2021 book Forward: Notes on the Future of Our Democracy, he announced his intention to found a new third party, the Forward Party.[143] On October 4, 2021, Yang announced on his blog that he had changed his voter registration from Democrat to Independent, saying he was "confident that no longer being a Democrat is the right thing";[16] the next day he announced the formation of the Forward Party.[144]

Yang said the group would start as a social movement and political action committee, and eventually petition the FEC for formal recognition as a political party.[143][145] On July 27, 2022, the Forward Party announced a merger with the Serve America Movement and the Renew America Movement to form a new political party.[146][147] The party is officially registered as a minor party in Nevada[148] and legal party status in Maine and Texas.

2024 election cycle

[edit]

In June 2023, Yang announced he had donated to Chris Christie's 2024 presidential campaign, in an effort to help qualify him for the upcoming Republican primary debates.[149][150] Later in December, Yang endorsed Representative Andy Kim for the Democratic nomination in the 2024 New Jersey Senate election.[151] In January 2024, Yang endorsed Dean Phillips' 2024 presidential campaign,[152] though Phillips dropped out after Super Tuesday. On January 18, US Representative Dean Phillips held campaign events with Yang in Manchester and Hanover, New Hampshire.[153] Yang assisted Phillips' cause to gain ballot access for the Florida Democratic Party presidential primary after its cancellation and he told ABC News, "What's happening in Florida is important -- do we live in a democracy or not? If the Democrats can simply cancel their own primaries they should change their name to something else."[154] In February 2024, it was reported that independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had asked Yang to be his running mate, but that Yang had been "noncommital" about it.[155] Kennedy reportedly still had Yang on his running mate short list during parts of March 2024, but attorney and entrepreneur Nicole Shanahan was ultimately chosen as Kennedy's running mate on March 26 of the same year.[156][157]

After the first presidential debate on June 27, Yang encouraged the Democratic Party to nominate someone instead of Biden "before it's too late".[158] Throughout the summer he encouraged Biden to drop out and for the Democratic Party to nominate someone different to defeat Trump in the general election.[159] Yang later predicted that Biden would lose the election, with House and Senate Democrats heading for "historic" losses as well.[160] On July 23, 2024, following Biden's withdrawal from the race, Yang endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president in a statement on social media.[161] He later wrote an opinion piece for Newsweek after the Democratic Convention, in which he encouraged fellow independents to vote for Harris.[162]

After Trump's win in the U.S. presidential election, Politico reached out to Yang and Democratic thinkers to see what they thought the party needed to do to improve itself. Yang's response was featured in a Politico article where he proposed that the Democrats should apologize for sandbagging Bernie Sanders in the 2016 primary, name Dean Phillips the new chair of the DNC for being the only Democrat with the character to sacrifice his career for the good of the country, apologize for not having a competitive primary this year, to back the Local Journalism Sustainability Act to provide a path for local journalism, back the Fair Representation Act as a way to fight gerrymandering and give voice to voters in the minority party of a district, and abandon policing cultural behaviors to instead focusing their political capital on improving Americans' standard of living.[163]

During a podcast interview with Scott Galloway and Anthony Scaramucci, Yang did not rule out a potential future presidential run.[164]

Personal life

[edit]
Yang's wife, Evelyn Yang, speaking at an event during his presidential campaign

Yang has been married to Evelyn Yang (née Lu) since 2011; the couple have two sons.[18] He has spoken about his older son Christopher, who is autistic, saying: "I'm very proud of my son and anyone who has someone on the spectrum in their family feels the exact same way."[165]

The Yang family lives in a rental apartment in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan,[166] and also owns a home in New Paltz, New York, that they purchased in 2015.[167] This became the family's primary residence during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic,[131] and a focus of controversy during Yang's mayoral campaign.[132] In 2019, Yang reported on his tax return that he rented out this home for 58 days to friends or on Airbnb.[168]

Yang and his family attend the Reformed Church of New Paltz, which is near his home,[167] and has identified Mark E. Mast as their pastor.[169][170] He considers himself spiritual.[171] Speaking about his faith at an interfaith town hall at Wartburg College, Yang said he "wouldn't be the first to say that [his] own journey is still in progress."[172]

In 2020, Yang received the 2021 Vilcek Prize for Excellence in Public Service, awarded by the Vilcek Foundation.[173]

On February 26, 2021, Yang stopped a physical attack on a journalist on the Staten Island Ferry by placing himself between the attacker and the journalist. The attacker recognized Yang and stopped the assault.[174][175][176]

Works

[edit]
  • Smart People Should Build Things: How to Restore Our Culture of Achievement, Build a Path for Entrepreneurs, and Create New Jobs in America. HarperCollins. February 4, 2014. ISBN 978-0062292049.
  • The War on Normal People: The Truth About America's Disappearing Jobs and Why Universal Basic Income Is Our Future. Hachette Books. April 3, 2018. ISBN 978-0316414241.
  • Forward: Notes on the Future of Our Democracy. Penguin Random House. October 5, 2021. ISBN 978-0-593-23865-3.
  • The Last Election (co-authored with Stephen Marche). Akashic Books. September 12, 2023. ISBN 978-1636141503.

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Andrew Yang

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Andrew Yang (born January 13, 1975) is an American entrepreneur, author, and political activist of Taiwanese descent whose career has focused on addressing economic disruption from technological through and policy innovation. He founded Venture for America in 2011, a nonprofit fellowship program that deployed recent college graduates to startups in declining industrial cities to stimulate job creation and revitalize local economies. Yang entered national politics with his 2019–2020 Democratic presidential campaign, where his central proposal was the "Freedom Dividend," a providing $1,000 monthly to every adult American to mitigate mass unemployment from —a stance grounded in on job displacement trends rather than traditional partisan ideologies. Though he suspended his bid after modest primary showings, Yang's campaign elevated into mainstream discourse, influencing subsequent policy debates amid economic shifts like the . In 2021, he launched a bid for , emphasizing -driven governance and recovery from urban decline, but withdrew prior to the Democratic primary after polling declines amid voter focus on crime and policing. Yang subsequently co-founded the Forward Party in 2022, a non-ideological organization merging centrist groups to promote electoral reforms including ranked-choice voting and open primaries, aiming to reduce through structural changes rather than new spending programs. His 2018 book, The War on Normal People, outlined these themes, arguing from empirical evidence that poses an existential threat to middle-class employment absent proactive interventions. While praised for foresight on tech-driven inequality, Yang's initiatives, such as Venture for America's goal of generating 100,000 jobs, have yielded mixed results, with actual outcomes falling short of ambitious targets due to startup failure rates and economic headwinds.

Early Life and Education

Family Background and Upbringing

Andrew Yang was born on January 13, 1975, in , to Taiwanese immigrant parents Kei-Hsiung Yang and Nancy Yang, who had arrived in the United States in the as graduate students at the . His father earned a Ph.D. in physics and worked as a researcher at and later , while his mother obtained a master's degree in statistics, served as a systems administrator, and later pursued art. The family emphasized education and professional stability, reflecting the priorities of first-generation immigrants from , where Yang's father had grown up on a modest peanut farm. Yang has an older brother, Lawrence Yang, who became a professor of psychology at . The family relocated from Schenectady to Somers and Katonah in , where Yang grew up as one of the few Asian American children in his community, experiencing due to his bookish nature and minority status. He engaged in activities such as playing piano, tennis, and , and attended the Center for Talented Youth program at for five summers beginning at age 12, fostering his intellectual interests in a competitive environment. This upbringing instilled a strong and focus on achievement, shaped by parental expectations for secure, high-status careers amid the challenges of assimilation for Taiwanese immigrants in mid-20th-century America.

Academic Achievements

Andrew Yang attended , a prestigious preparatory school in , graduating in 1992. He then enrolled at , where he earned a degree with concentrations in and in 1996. Following undergraduate studies, Yang pursued legal education at , obtaining his in 1999; during this time, he served as an editor on a publication.

Business and Entrepreneurial Career

Early Professional Roles

After graduating from in 1999, Yang joined the New York City-based law firm & Wardwell as a corporate attorney. He departed the firm after five months, in February 2000, citing dissatisfaction with the role's lack of direct impact and his desire to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities. Yang then co-founded Stargiving, a for-profit platform launched around that enabled consumers to purchase celebrity-endorsed products while directing a portion of proceeds to nonprofits. The venture aimed to streamline charitable giving but operated on a limited scale before Yang transitioned to other pursuits. In 2006, Yang became managing director of Manhattan GMAT (later rebranded Manhattan Prep), a test preparation company focused on standardized exams like the GMAT. He advanced to chief executive officer in 2007 and president in 2010, overseeing expansion that included hiring specialized instructors and growing revenue amid the 2008 financial crisis. Kaplan Inc. acquired the company in late 2009 for an undisclosed sum estimated in the millions, providing Yang with significant financial gains from the sale.

Key Ventures and Non-Profits

After departing practice in 2000, Yang entered the entrepreneurial sphere, initially working in startups within the healthcare sector from 2002 to 2005. In 2006, he joined Manhattan GMAT, a boutique test preparation firm focused on the Graduate Management Admission Test, and swiftly assumed the role of . Under his leadership, the company expanded its offerings to include preparation for other exams like the LSAT and GRE, shifting toward online delivery amid the , which proved advantageous as demand for affordable education grew. , a subsidiary of Company, acquired Manhattan Prep in 2009 for an undisclosed sum, enabling Yang to realize significant financial gains from the venture. In 2011, Yang founded Venture for America (VFA), a non-profit organization designed to revitalize economically distressed American cities by channeling high-caliber college graduates into early-stage startups rather than traditional paths like finance or consulting. The program launched its inaugural fellowship class in with 12 participants placed in , aiming to foster job creation through entrepreneurial activity in "emerging markets" such as , , and . VFA fellows committed to two-year terms, receiving modest stipends while supporting company growth; by 2015, the organization had expanded to over 100 fellows annually across multiple cities and received federal recognition, including Yang's designation as a White House Champion of Change. However, VFA's ambitious target of generating 100,000 jobs by 2025 yielded only approximately 3,100 positions by 2021, reflecting challenges in scaling impact amid economic headwinds and the inherent risks of startup ecosystems. The non-profit ceased operations in August 2024, citing unsustainable funding and broader market difficulties for entrepreneurship initiatives.

Investment Activities and Financial Status

Andrew Yang's personal investment portfolio has remained modest, primarily consisting of diversified mutual funds, cash accounts, and limited stakes in individual assets. His 2019 financial disclosure, filed during his presidential campaign, revealed holdings including small positions in LendingClub stock, Alphabet (Google) shares, and between $15,000 and $50,000 in the Hustle Fund I LP, a seed-stage venture fund, as well as a similar amount in the Startmate fund focused on Australian startups. These investments reflect a conservative approach rather than high-risk venture capital bets typical of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs. Yang's earlier entrepreneurial exit from co-founding and selling test-prep company Manhattan Prep to Kaplan in 2009 generated a personal share estimated in the low millions, providing seed capital for subsequent activities but not substantial wealth accumulation. In advisory capacities, Yang has provided strategic guidance to venture firms without direct equity stakes disclosed publicly. He serves as an advisor to Modi Ventures, Legendary Ventures—joining their advisory team in August 2022 to enhance portfolio value—and Grand Central Tech, roles that leverage his experience in fellowships but do not appear to involve personal capital deployment. His founding of the nonprofit Venture for America in 2011 indirectly supported investments by channeling talent to over 100 startups across U.S. cities, fostering job creation in sectors like and health tech, though the organization ceased operations in August 2024 amid funding challenges. More recently, Yang co-led the launch of Noble Mobile in September 2025, a (MVNO) that incentivizes reduced through cash rebates, raising $10.3 million in seed funding from Corazon Capital, Scott Galloway, and other backers. As founder and CEO, Yang participated in the round, aligning his capital with the venture's focus on telecom disruption, though specific personal commitment amounts remain undisclosed. This marks his most active recent , contrasting with prior passive holdings. Yang's overall financial status indicates limited wealth relative to peers in tech and politics. Forbes estimated his net worth at approximately $1 million in 2019, encompassing a $500,000 home in , and the aforementioned investments, with no significant liabilities reported. Subsequent estimates, including from 2024 analyses, maintain figures around $1 million, bolstered by book royalties from titles like The War on Normal People (2018) and campaign salaries—such as $175,000 annually from his 2020 presidential bid—but offset by nonprofit leadership and political expenditures. Independent disclosures pegged assets between $584,000 and $2.3 million during his 2021 mayoral run, underscoring a profile of entrepreneurial grit over amassed fortune.

Core Policy Positions and Intellectual Contributions

Universal Basic Income and Economic Reforms

![Yang is holding a microphone while gesturing and making a speech. His book, The War on Normal People, is displayed on a table in front of him.](./assets/Andrew_Yang_4579356715545793567155 Andrew Yang's central economic proposal is the Freedom Dividend, a (UBI) providing $1,000 per month to every U.S. adult citizen aged 18 and older, irrespective of or status. Introduced during his 2020 Democratic presidential campaign, this unconditional cash payment functions akin to a modernized Social Security system, aiming to bolster amid rapid . Yang positioned UBI as essential for countering job displacement from , predicting that and would eliminate approximately one-third of American jobs within 12 years, exacerbating inequality and social unrest if unaddressed. Funding the Freedom Dividend, projected to cost roughly $3 trillion annually prior to offsets, relies primarily on a 10% national (VAT) applied to goods and services produced domestically or imported, which Yang estimated would yield $800 billion yearly. Additional revenue would stem from consolidating overlapping welfare programs—such as portions of SNAP, EITC, and housing subsidies—potentially saving $600–700 billion, alongside induced economic growth from heightened consumer spending. The VAT, set at half the average European rate, targets consumption by large tech firms and beneficiaries while exempting essentials like groceries and medicine to mitigate regressivity. However, analyses from fiscal watchdogs indicate a 10% VAT might generate only $600–800 billion, falling short of full coverage and requiring further adjustments, with the net effect of VAT plus UBI remaining progressive due to higher benefits for lower-income households. Beyond UBI, Yang advocated broader economic reforms to foster "human-centered capitalism," including reorienting metrics of national progress away from GDP toward indicators of , such as family stability and outcomes. He proposed incentives for companies to prioritize employee ownership and profit-sharing, arguing that traditional incentives exacerbate automation-driven inequality without accounting for societal costs like . These reforms emphasize adapting to technological realities, with UBI serving as a from national economic productivity rather than a handout, potentially stimulating as evidenced by small-scale UBI trials showing sustained work participation. Yang maintained that such measures would prevent a "war on " by redistributing gains from efficiency without stifling innovation.

Technology, Automation, and Societal Adaptation

Andrew Yang has consistently argued that rapid advancements in automation and artificial intelligence pose a profound threat to employment stability, predicting widespread job displacement across sectors reliant on routine tasks. In his 2018 book The War on Normal People, Yang described the ongoing "fourth industrial revolution" as accelerating beyond historical precedents, with automation eroding the social fabric by creating a growing class of permanently displaced workers. He cited specific vulnerabilities, such as the trucking industry, where self-driving vehicles could eliminate up to 3.5 million jobs, contributing minimally to GDP while devastating livelihoods in affected communities. Yang referenced empirical studies, including the 2013 Frey-Osborne analysis estimating 47 percent of U.S. jobs at high risk of automation, to underscore the causal link between technological progress and labor market contraction, particularly in manufacturing and transportation where productivity gains have not translated into proportional job creation. To adapt society to these disruptions, Yang proposed "human-centered capitalism," a framework shifting economic measurement from GDP growth to indicators of human flourishing, such as , outcomes, and affordable childcare access. This approach recognizes that unchecked benefits aggregate output but exacerbates inequality and social instability, necessitating policy reforms to prioritize well-being over pure market efficiency. Yang advocated for retraining programs and entrepreneurial initiatives, drawing from his Venture for America nonprofit, which deployed fellows to revitalize economically stagnant cities through tech startups, aiming to foster job creation in innovation rather than preservation of obsolete roles. Complementing these ideas, Yang emphasized technology's extractive nature by promoting as a property right, arguing that individuals should receive dividends from the fueling tech giants' valuations. In his 2019 campaign tech policy announcement, he outlined regulating use to prevent monopolistic capture of value, including mechanisms for consumers to monetize their akin to resource royalties, thereby redistributing automation-driven wealth gains. This "data dividend" initiative, formalized in the 2020 Data Dividend Project, sought to adapt societal structures to an economy where intangible assets like eclipse traditional labor inputs. Yang maintained that such measures, grounded in recognizing causal realities of technological externalities, enable proactive adaptation without halting innovation.

Empirical Critiques and Alternative Perspectives

Critics of Yang's automation thesis argue that historical patterns contradict predictions of widespread job displacement leading to mass . Technological advancements, including since the , have consistently raised productivity and created new employment opportunities in emerging sectors, offsetting losses in routine tasks; for instance, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data from 1980 to 2020 show net job growth amid rising , with rates fluctuating more due to cycles than . Recent analyses of AI exposure similarly find no empirical link to rising rates as of 2025, with occupational studies indicating that high-exposure fields have not experienced disproportionate job losses compared to low-exposure ones. Empirical models further suggest that , such as adoption, correlates with lower by boosting efficiency and demand for complementary human skills, rather than net destruction of work. Regarding the proposed Freedom Dividend—a $1,000 monthly (UBI) funded partly by a 10% —economic evaluations highlight fiscal and behavioral challenges unsupported by large-scale evidence. Simulations indicate the plan's gross annual cost could exceed $2.8 trillion, with the VAT generating insufficient revenue after accounting for economic drag and administrative offsets, potentially requiring deficit financing or benefit cuts. Small-scale UBI pilots, such as those in the U.S. and abroad, reveal modest reductions in but consistent disincentives to labor: a 2024 NBER study of guaranteed income transfers found a 3.9% drop in labor force participation, 1-2 fewer hours worked weekly per recipient, and shifts toward leisure over productive activity. Macroeconomic modeling reinforces this, projecting that revenue-neutral UBI implementations decrease overall and output by weakening work incentives, while exacerbating earnings inequality among working households through implicit marginal tax rates on low earners. Alternative perspectives emphasize adaptive policies over redistribution, prioritizing investment and market flexibility to address skill mismatches from . Vocational retraining and reforms, for example, have historically mitigated displacement effects by equipping workers for higher-value roles, as evidenced by post-automation reskilling programs in sectors that restored levels without income guarantees. Deregulatory measures to lower barriers to and innovation are proposed to accelerate job creation in AI-complementary fields like oversight and , contrasting UBI's potential to entrench dependency. These approaches align with causal evidence that productivity gains from expand economic pie size, enabling wage growth through competition rather than fixed transfers, though implementation requires addressing institutional rigidities like overregulation in labor markets.

Political Career

Initial Government and Advisory Roles

In 2012, Andrew Yang was selected as a Champion of Change by the Obama administration for his efforts in fostering youth through Venture for America, a nonprofit he founded in 2011 to deploy top college graduates to startups in economically distressed American cities. The program aimed to create jobs and revitalize urban areas by matching fellows with early-stage companies, with Yang's initiative credited for addressing unemployment among young talent by redirecting it from to domestic innovation hubs. This recognition highlighted Yang's model of training entrepreneurs to build scalable businesses, though subsequent evaluations of Venture for America's impact showed modest job creation relative to ambitious goals, with only a fraction of promised positions materializing by 2021. In 2015, President appointed Yang as a Presidential for Global , a role involving promoting U.S. startup ecosystems internationally and advising on policies to enhance American competitiveness in innovation. This non-governmental position leveraged Yang's experience to facilitate connections between U.S. entrepreneurs and foreign markets, emphasizing public-private partnerships for . From 2016 to 2018, Yang served on the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NACIE) under the U.S. Department of Commerce, providing recommendations on federal policies to bolster innovation, manufacturing, and workforce development amid technological disruption. In this advisory capacity, he contributed insights from Venture for America's field experiences, advocating for initiatives that supported startup scaling in underserved regions, though the council's influence on enacted remained advisory and indirect. These roles marked Yang's entry into national policy discussions, bridging his entrepreneurial background with government-level economic strategy without involving formal bureaucratic positions.

2020 Democratic Presidential Campaign

![A crowd of Yang supporters, many of whom are holding signs and banners](./assets/Liberty_%2526_Justice_Walkabout_4900649322649006493226 Andrew Yang filed paperwork to launch his presidential on November 6, 2017, positioning himself as a data-driven outsider focused on economic adaptation to . His campaign centered on the "Freedom Dividend," proposing a of $1,000 per month for every U.S. adult citizen, funded primarily through a 10% on goods and services to mitigate mass job displacement from technological advances, a concern grounded in empirical trends like the loss of 5.1 million jobs between 2000 and 2010. Yang argued this policy would foster entrepreneurship and consumer spending amid causal disruptions from AI and , drawing from first-hand observations in deindustrialized communities rather than relying on partisan narratives. The campaign cultivated a decentralized "Yang Gang" network of volunteers, emphasizing online mobilization and small-dollar contributions over traditional party infrastructure. Yang qualified for all seven Democratic primary debates by meeting donor and polling thresholds, gaining visibility through viral moments like his debate-stage promotion of UBI and signature "MATH" hat symbolizing quantitative policy rigor. surged, with $16.5 million raised in the fourth quarter of 2019 alone—exceeding prior quarters—largely from over 450,000 unique small donors averaging under $100 each, enabling sustained events in early states. This donor base reflected broad appeal, including independents and non-college-educated voters prioritizing economic metrics over cultural signaling, though mainstream outlets often framed his tech-optimism as eccentric rather than addressing underlying data. Nationally, Yang polled as high as 5% in aggregates by late 2019, with stronger showings in reaching double digits in some surveys, signaling resonance among demographics alienated by establishment candidates' focus on redistribution without reforms. In the on February 3, 2020, he garnered 1% of the state delegate equivalents amid reporting delays, underscoring organizational limits against better-resourced rivals despite invested ground efforts. Facing diminishing viability post-Iowa, Yang suspended his campaign on February 11, 2020, in , stating it no longer offered a plausible path to the nomination while pledging to continue advocating UBI. On March 10, 2020, following Biden's dominance, Yang endorsed him as the nominee best equipped to unify against Trump, citing Biden's electability over policy alignment. The effort, though unsuccessful, empirically demonstrated demand for human-capital-focused policies amid technological shifts, influencing subsequent discourse despite skepticism from outlets prioritizing ideological litmus tests.

2021 New York City Mayoral Campaign

Andrew Yang formally launched his campaign for the Democratic nomination in the 2021 New York City mayoral election on January 14, 2021, emphasizing solutions to the city's economic distress, public safety challenges, and recovery from the . His platform proposed adapting national ideas to local needs, including a pilot program providing $1,000 monthly to 100 low-income households for data-driven evaluation, creation of a publicly owned People's Bank to offer low-cost loans to small businesses underserved by traditional banks, and cash relief initiatives to support gig workers and families hit hardest by lockdowns. On public safety, Yang advocated reforming the New York Police Department (NYPD) to prioritize reduction amid a 2020 spike in shootings (1,531 incidents) while advancing accountability measures, such as enhancing the Civilian Complaint Review Board, implementing residency requirements for new officers, and appointing a for public safety to coordinate responses to 911 calls (169,000 annually) and scale violence interruption programs like . He criticized incumbent Bill de Blasio's policies for contributing to declining trust in policing, particularly in communities of color, and pledged to reduce civil settlement payouts exceeding hundreds of millions yearly through better training and oversight. Economic policies also targeted reopening sectors like and , equitable vaccine distribution, and support as part of broader COVID recovery efforts. Yang entered the race with strong initial polling driven by name recognition from his 2020 presidential bid, leading Democratic primary surveys with 16% support in March 2021 and holding a narrow edge into April. However, his lead dissipated as competitors highlighted his limited experience and amid voter shifts toward candidates addressing immediate concerns like surges and reopenings; by mid-June, polls showed him in fourth place. Critics, including in mainstream outlets, attributed declines to campaign gaffes, such as Yang's unfamiliarity with subway operations, and a perceived mismatch between his tech-entrepreneur background and New York-specific governance demands. The Democratic primary on June 22, 2021, utilized ranked-choice voting among 13 candidates. Yang garnered about 11-12% of first-round votes, placing fourth behind Eric Adams (30.7%), Kathryn Garcia (19.5%), and Maya Wiley (18.8%), and was eliminated early in subsequent rounds as Adams advanced to victory with 404,513 final-round votes. He suspended his campaign that evening, conceding without a specific endorsement and advising supporters to rank remaining frontrunners based on their priorities, while expressing optimism about the city's future under new leadership. The general election proceeded without Yang's participation, as Adams won the Democratic nomination and the mayoralty against Republican Curtis Sliwa on November 2, 2021.

Founding and Expansion of the Forward Party

Following his unsuccessful 2021 bid for , Andrew Yang announced the formation of the Forward Party on July 27, 2022, through a merger with the and the . The party positioned itself as centrist and non-ideological, emphasizing data-driven problem-solving, election reforms such as ranked-choice voting and nonpartisan open primaries, and collaboration across partisan lines to address issues like economic adaptation and democratic accountability. Co-chaired initially by Yang alongside former Republican officials and , the Forward Party aimed to represent the estimated 60% of Americans disillusioned with the two major parties, drawing on Yang's prior advocacy for structural reforms outlined in his 2022 book Forward: Notes on the Future of Our Democracy. The party's expansion strategy prioritized state-level organization over national campaigns, announcing in May 2023 a focus on 12 battleground states—including , , and —for resource allocation through 2024, with goals of achieving and endorsing candidates committed to reform. By late 2023, it reported victories in local races, such as school board and city council seats, attributing these to efforts in providing alternatives to partisan dominance. pursuits advanced unevenly; as of 2025, the party secured recognition or fusion arrangements in states like and , while facing legal hurdles in others such as and requiring thousands of signatures. Further growth included a July 2025 merger in with the to form Forward Independence, enhancing regional presence. For the 2025 cycle, the Forward Party endorsed 27 candidates across 10 states, with eight appearing on ballots explicitly as party members, targeting municipal and state legislative races to build infrastructure amid persistent third-party barriers like stringent petition requirements. Despite limited national impact—no presidential run in 2024—the organization cultivated elected affiliates in local roles and state chapters, fostering through volunteer-driven signature drives and reform advocacy.

Involvement in the 2024 Election Cycle

Andrew Yang, co-chair of the Forward Party, publicly endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president on July 23, 2024, stating he would back her and her running mate in the November election despite his independent affiliation. He reiterated this support in media appearances, including on NewsNation, where he contrasted Harris as embodying change for many voters compared to Donald Trump. Yang voted early for Harris, as evidenced by his social media post on November 2, 2024, showing an "I VOTED EARLY!" sticker. Under Yang's leadership, the Forward Party opted not to field a presidential candidate in 2024, prioritizing down-ballot races and electoral reforms over a national spoiler bid that could dilute third-party momentum. The party endorsed or ran over 125 candidates in state and local contests across the U.S., targeting positions such as city councils, school boards, and legislatures to build infrastructure and advocate for measures like ranked-choice voting and open primaries. These efforts yielded limited electoral success, with most candidates failing to win amid entrenched two-party dominance, though the party hosted a national election watch party in on November 5, 2024, where Yang emphasized long-term viability through problem-solving over ideology. Following Harris's defeat, Yang attributed Democratic losses to internal failures, including failure to adapt to voter priorities and overreliance on outdated strategies, arguing on , 2024, that party leaders bore primary responsibility rather than external factors like third parties. This critique aligned with the Forward Party's broader push for systemic changes, such as fusion voting alliances, which saw modest progress in select states but no major breakthroughs in 2024. Yang's dual role—personally backing a major-party while advancing a third-party agenda—highlighted tensions between immediate electoral and long-term goals.

Recent Developments and Third-Party Strategies (2025)

In early 2025, Andrew Yang continued to promote the Forward Party's expansion through targeted endorsements and infrastructural growth, emphasizing local and state-level races to build third-party viability. On March 4, 2025, Yang discussed lessons from the 2024 election cycle on , highlighting the party's support for while underscoring the necessity of alternatives to the two-party duopoly, with plans to prioritize electoral reforms like open primaries and ranked-choice voting in 2025 initiatives. By April 2025, Yang articulated in interviews that the party's approach was driven by "math" rather than ideology, focusing on systemic changes to enable centrist representation amid perceived Democratic vulnerabilities heading into 2028. The Forward Party's third-party strategies in 2025 centered on fusion endorsements and coalition-building rather than independent presidential bids, aiming to avoid vote-splitting while amplifying pragmatic candidates. In June 2025, Yang proposed collaboration with to form a broader third-party alliance, positioning the Forward Party as a partner in Musk's exploratory "America Party" efforts to challenge partisan dominance through shared advocacy for innovation and anti-establishment reforms. This aligned with the party's tactic of cross-endorsing independents and moderates in general elections, as seen in the October 14, 2025, endorsement of for , where Dugan ran on a fusion ticket after losing the Democratic primary to incumbent . By mid-October 2025, the Forward Party announced multiple waves of endorsements for the 2025 cycle, including 27 candidates across 10 states in September and a larger slate on , targeting diverse, "solutions-first" contenders in municipal and legislative races to demonstrate electoral momentum. Strategies emphasized open processes for vacancies, such as in Utah's state senate on , where the party advocated inclusive selection mechanisms to contrast with party insiders' control. Critics noted these efforts faced structural barriers like hurdles, yet Yang framed them as incremental steps toward a , drawing on empirical dissatisfaction with evidenced in low turnout and congressional polarization data.

Controversies and Criticisms

Campaign Failures and Tactical Missteps

Yang's 2020 Democratic presidential campaign, launched on November 6, 2017, initially gained traction through grassroots enthusiasm and viral moments, peaking at around 5% in national polls by late , but ultimately faltered due to structural barriers in the primary system and limited organizational scalability. Despite raising over $16.5 million in small-dollar donations and qualifying for debates, Yang secured zero delegates and suspended his bid on , , citing mathematical improbability of victory amid a crowded field dominated by party insiders. Tactical missteps included overemphasis on national policy ideas like without sufficient state-level delegate-building operations, as well as insufficient alliances with Democratic establishment figures, which left the campaign vulnerable to frontrunner consolidation post-Iowa. In the 2021 New York City mayoral race, Yang entered on February 10, 2021, leveraging national name recognition to lead early polls with up to 31% support, but his standing eroded rapidly due to perceived inauthenticity and failure to address hyper-local concerns like rising crime and homelessness. By June 2021, he had slipped to fourth place with approximately 10% in final surveys, prompting his concession on June 22, 2021, after the Democratic primary. Key errors encompassed self-inflicted controversies, such as a resurfaced video from 2011 perceived as mocking Asian accents and an initial pro-Israel statement that drew backlash, requiring walk-backs that alienated progressive voters. Additionally, Yang's campaign overlooked coalition-building with labor unions and community leaders, relying instead on media ubiquity that critics argued masked a lack of substantive engagement with New York-specific governance challenges. The Forward Party, founded by Yang in July 2021 and formally launched in October 2022 through mergers with smaller groups, aimed to disrupt the two-party duopoly via ranked-choice voting advocacy and independent fusions but has yielded negligible electoral outcomes, underscoring tactical overreach in a winner-take-all system. From 2022 to 2025, the party endorsed candidates in select races but secured no major offices, hampered by hurdles, fragmented messaging blending centrist reforms without a cohesive ideological core, and failure to attract defectors from major parties en masse. Yang's decision to exit the Democratic Party in October 2021 alienated potential allies, while the party's emphasis on non-partisan "forward" solutions drew skepticism for evading hard policy trade-offs, as evidenced by internal critiques of operational hollowness and external dismissals as a vanity effort unlikely to overcome dynamics. In the 2024 cycle, endorsements for congressional and local hopefuls failed to translate into breakthroughs, reinforcing perceptions of strategic naivety in prioritizing national branding over winnable down-ballot infrastructure.

Ideological Inconsistencies and Public Backlash

Yang's departure from the Democratic Party in October 2021, after endorsing in the 2020 primaries, marked a shift from advocating within the party's progressive wing—emphasizing (UBI) as a response to automation-induced —to founding the centrist Forward Party in July 2022, which prioritizes electoral reforms like ranked-choice voting over direct economic redistribution. Critics, including left-leaning outlets, characterized this evolution as abandoning populist economic appeals for vague lacking substantive policy depth, with the Forward Party described as a "pointless mess" that reinforces status quo dynamics rather than challenging entrenched power structures. This pivot drew accusations of , as Yang's initial UBI proposal, a $1,000 monthly "Freedom Dividend" funded by a 10% , aligned with left-of-center redistribution but later receded in prominence amid the party's focus on non-partisan processes, prompting claims that his prioritized over consistent principles. Public backlash intensified during Yang's 2021 mayoral campaign, where a April 15 tweet lamenting lax enforcement of rules against unlicensed street vendors—many operated by immigrants—ignited fury from progressive activists who viewed it as insensitive to low-income entrepreneurs and emblematic of anti-immigrant undertones, despite Yang's clarification that it reflected constituent complaints about congestion. Similarly, on , 2021, Yang faced rival criticism for suggesting increased policing and institutionalization for mentally ill individuals contributing to , remarks decried by opponents as stigmatizing vulnerable populations and echoing conservative "tough on crime" incompatible with Democratic norms. These incidents contributed to his campaign's collapse, with Yang suspending his bid on June 22 after early polling leads evaporated amid perceptions of ideological misalignment with the city's left-leaning base. Earlier, in March 2019, Yang encountered sharp rebukes from segments of the Asian American community following a Washington Post op-ed urging Asian Americans to cease invoking the "model minority" myth to distinguish themselves from Black communities, arguing it perpetuated division; detractors, including community leaders, accused him of internalized racism and undermining solidarity against discrimination, with backlash amplified on social media and in ethnic press. The Forward Party's launch elicited broader skepticism, with analyses portraying it as a "vanity project" doomed by historical third-party failures and insufficient ideological cohesion to attract voters beyond disillusioned elites, as evidenced by Yang's own October 28, 2024, Newsweek op-ed advising against third-party presidential votes to avoid spoiling outcomes—a stance critics highlighted as self-contradictory given his party's existence, underscoring tactical pragmatism over unwavering commitment to multipartisan disruption. Such positions have fueled perceptions of Yang as a technocratic figure whose "not left or right" framing superficially exploits systemic frustration without addressing causal roots of polarization, per conservative and leftist critiques alike.

Policy Viability and Broader Skepticism

Critics of Andrew Yang's flagship policy, the "Freedom Dividend" (UBI) of $1,000 per month for every adult American, have highlighted its enormous fiscal cost, estimated at approximately $3 trillion annually before offsets, exceeding the entire federal at the time of his campaign proposal. Economists argue that funding it primarily through a 10% (VAT) would insufficiently cover expenses, as Yang's projections relied on optimistic economic multipliers that do not align with empirical models showing minimal GDP growth from such transfers. Large-scale UBI pilots, such as those in , and elsewhere, have demonstrated short-term but also reduced labor participation among recipients, raising causal concerns about work disincentives in a permanent program that could exacerbate dependency without addressing skill mismatches from . Skepticism extends to Yang's broader economic vision of "human-centered capitalism," which proposes metrics like GDP adjustments for well-being but lacks rigorous causal mechanisms for implementation, with detractors noting it oversimplifies structural issues like and trade imbalances in favor of tech-optimistic interventions unproven at scale. Policy analysts from institutions like the contend that targeted wage subsidies or expanded earned income tax credits would more effectively incentivize employment and target aid to the , avoiding the universal payout's dilution across non-needy households. Public opinion polls reflect this wariness, with 54% of U.S. adults opposing federal UBI in 2020 surveys, a figure that has persisted amid concerns over and fiscal post-pandemic stimulus experiments. The Forward Party's advocacy for electoral reforms, including ranked-choice voting (RCV) and open primaries, faces doubts about viability in a U.S. system entrenched by , which favors two-party dominance through winner-take-all mechanics, as evidenced by third parties' historical inability to secure more than 5% of the national vote since 1912. While the party achieved minor fusion in states like by 2023, its non-ideological "common-sense" platform has been critiqued as lacking a cohesive voter base, potentially functioning as a spoiler rather than a reformer, with early endorsements yielding no major electoral wins by 2025. Yang's shifts, such as endorsing RCV after initial Democratic skepticism and pivoting from UBI universality to means-tested variants in local contexts, have fueled perceptions of tactical opportunism over principled consistency, undermining credibility among both progressive and centrist observers. Broader skepticism questions Yang's electability and influence, rooted in his campaigns' underperformance—garnering just 5% in the 2020 despite heavy digital outreach—and the Forward Party's failure to translate enthusiasm into legislative traction, as initiatives for RCV have succeeded locally (e.g., in 2021) but stalled federally amid partisan resistance. Critics from across the spectrum, including libertarian outlets, argue his tech-centric worldview underestimates political realism, prioritizing viral ideas over coalition-building in a polarized electorate where third-way appeals historically fragment without disrupting major parties. As of 2025, while Yang's media presence sustains discourse on and reform, empirical outcomes from his ventures suggest limited causal impact on policy adoption, reinforcing doubts about scaling outsider innovations in entrenched institutions.

Personal Life

Family and Relationships


Andrew Yang was born to Taiwanese immigrant parents, Kei-Hsiung Yang, a researcher who worked at companies including IBM and General Electric, and Nancy Yang, a systems administrator. The family resided in Schenectady, New York, at the time of his birth on January 13, 1975, before moving to the Hudson Valley region. Yang married Evelyn Lu, whom he met while attending , in 2011. Evelyn Yang, also of Taiwanese descent, has largely maintained a private profile despite her husband's public career, though she has occasionally addressed personal experiences, including a 2019 disclosure of by her former obstetrician-gynecologist during her first . The couple has two sons; their older son, , was approximately seven years old in late 2019 and has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Yang has spoken openly about the family's experiences with autism, highlighting challenges such as securing appropriate therapies and coverage, which informed his advocacy for expanded family leave and disability support policies.

Public Persona and Authorship

Andrew Yang has cultivated a public persona centered on pragmatic, data-driven solutions to societal challenges, positioning himself as an entrepreneurial outsider unencumbered by traditional political ideology. His image gained prominence during the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries through viral engagement, like the "MATH" hat symbolizing his focus, and appearances on non-traditional platforms such as podcasts, where he emphasized automation's threat to jobs and the need for (UBI). This approach appealed to younger, tech-savvy voters disillusioned with establishment figures, fostering the "Yang Gang" supporter base, though coverage often highlighted his unconventional style over depth. Yang's authorship reinforces this persona, with books serving as platforms to outline empirical arguments for reform. His debut major work, The War on Normal People: The Truth About America's Disappearing Jobs and Why Is Our Future, published April 3, 2018, by , detailed how and AI would displace millions of jobs, citing statistics like the projected loss of 5.1 million manufacturing positions from 2000 to 2010 due to trade and technology, and advocated UBI as a causal remedy to prevent . The book sold over 100,000 copies in its first year, per publisher reports, and elevated his profile as a forward-thinking of industrial shifts. In Forward: Notes on the Future of Our Democracy, released October 5, 2021, by , Yang extended his analysis to electoral dysfunction, proposing ranked-choice voting and open primaries to reduce polarization, drawing from his campaign experiences where he observed voter alienation from two-party dominance. This 368-page volume critiqued and , attributing them to declining trust in institutions, with data showing U.S. voter turnout lagging peers like . Yang co-authored the political thriller The Last Election with Stephen Marche, published September 12, 2023, by Akashic Books, which fictionalizes vulnerabilities in the U.S. amid a hacked 2024 campaign, informed by his firsthand primary run and warnings of tech-enabled disruptions. These writings collectively portray Yang as a realist focused on causal mechanisms like and institutional inertia, though critics in outlets like have questioned the feasibility of his proposals amid his limited electoral success.

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  45. https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2022/article/growth-trends-for-selected-occupations-considered-at-risk-from-automation.htm
  46. https://eviden.com/insights/blogs/what-the-history-of-automation-can-tell-us-about-ais-impact-on-jobs/
  47. https://budgetlab.yale.edu/research/evaluating-impact-ai-labor-market-current-state-affairs
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  49. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667111524000239
  50. https://www.weforum.org/stories/2024/08/why-ai-will-not-lead-to-a-world-without-work/
  51. https://www.economicpossibility.org/insights/andrew-yang-s-freedom-dividend-is-estimated-to-have-a-gross-cost-of-2-8-trillion
  52. https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w32719/w32719.pdf
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  55. https://www.employment-studies.co.uk/news/universal-basic-income-pros-cons-and-evidence
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  58. https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/champions/youth-entrepreneurs
  59. https://www.politico.com/states/new-york/city-hall/story/2021/05/01/yang-describes-himself-as-serial-entrepreneur-but-he-often-worked-for-someone-else-1379608
  60. https://www.eda.gov/archives/2016/oie/nacie/members/2016-18/ayang.htm
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  62. https://www.npr.org/2020/01/26/799679716/poll-results-put-andrew-yang-back-on-the-democratic-debate-stage
  63. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/02/us/politics/andrew-yang-fundraising.html
  64. https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/02/politics/andrew-yang-fundraising-fourth-quarter
  65. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/02/07/andrew-yang-2020-campaign-profile-111863
  66. https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/goodbye-to-andrew-yang-2020s-most-unexpectedly-successful-losing-candidate/
  67. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/02/04/us/elections/results-iowa-caucus.html
  68. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/feb/11/andrew-yang-drops-out-2020-election-race-democrats-latest
  69. https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/10/politics/andrew-yang-endorses-joe-biden
  70. https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/andrew-yang-officially-launches-nyc-mayoral-campaign/2830731/
  71. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jan/14/andrew-yang-new-york-city-mayor-run
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  74. https://www.yangforny.com/policies/a-safe-and-fair-city/
  75. https://www.politico.com/states/new-york/albany/story/2021/03/24/yang-continues-to-dominate-the-field-with-3-months-to-mayoral-primary-1369330
  76. https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/news-polls/spectrumnews-ny1-nyc-mayor-april
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  78. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/30/nyregion/andrew-yang-mayor.html
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  81. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/22/nyregion/andrew-yang-concedes.html
  82. https://ballotpedia.org/Mayoral_election_in_New_York%2C_New_York_%282021%29
  83. https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/3577267-yangs-forward-party-merges-with-groups-led-by-former-gop-officials/
  84. https://ballot-access.org/2022/07/27/sam-party-merges-with-the-forward-party/
  85. https://www.forwardparty.com/
  86. https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/28/politics/andrew-yang-forward-party-whitman-jolly
  87. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/forward-party-announces-2024-battleground-map-301819286.html
  88. https://www.forwardparty.com/media/press_release/the-forward-party-celebrates-a-night-of-significant-victories-demonstrating-the-viability-of-its-focus-on-state-and-local-elections/
  89. https://www.utahforwardparty.org/miles_pomeroy_for_state_treasurer
  90. https://sourcenm.com/2025/04/15/new-political-party-seeking-expanded-democracy-and-a-return-to-the-center-launches-in-new-mexico/
  91. https://www.wunc.org/politics/2025-07-28/nc-forward-party-campaign-ballot
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  93. https://independentpoliticalreport.com/2025/09/forward-party-endorses-27-candidates-across-10-states-for-2025-election/
  94. https://www.forwardparty.com/electeds/
  95. https://home.forwardparty.com/volunteer_find_your_state
  96. https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4788230-yang-support-harris-president/
  97. https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4946641-andrew-yang-kamala-harris-change-candidate-2024-election/
  98. https://www.forwardparty.com/media/blog/andrew-yang-joins-cuomo-on-news-nation-to-discuss-the-2024-election/
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  100. https://www.forwardparty.com/media/blog/the-forward-party-isnt-running-a-presidential-candidate-in-2024-and-thats-a-good-thing/
  101. https://www.forwardparty.com/media/blog/andrew-yang-speaks-at-the-forward-party-election-night-watch-party-in-philadelphia/
  102. https://www.cityandstatepa.com/politics/2024/11/forward-party-election-night-losses-provide-hope-road-ahead/400864/
  103. https://ivn.us/posts/andrew-yang-democrats-have-only-themselves-blame-2024-11-11
  104. https://www.fox5dc.com/news/forward-party-looking-make-impact-2024-election
  105. https://www.forwardparty.com/media/blog/what-we-learned-in-2024-and-what-were-doing-in-2025/
  106. https://www.cityandstateny.com/politics/2025/04/isnt-ideological-its-just-math-andrew-yang-how-move-country-forward/404191/
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  109. https://www.axios.com/2025/07/08/elon-musk-america-party-helpers-challenges
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  120. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/12/nyregion/andrew-yang-israel-palestine-attack.html
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  122. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/29/opinion/why-andrew-yangs-new-third-party-is-bound-to-fail.html
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  130. https://newrepublic.com/article/163978/andrew-yang-forward-third-party
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