Vivek Malek

Vivek Malek (born 1977) is an American attorney, businessman, and politician who is the State Treasurer of Missouri. First appointed Treasurer by Missouri Governor Mike Parson in 2022, he was elected to a full term in 2024, winning the Republican primary by a plurality and the general election by an almost 20% margin. He is a member of the Republican Party and the first person of color to win state office in Missouri history.

Malek was born and raised in India. He graduated from Maharshi Dayanand University with a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Law, and went on to receive a Master of Business Administration from Southeast Missouri State University and a Master of Laws from the University of Illinois College of Law.

Malek began practicing law in Missouri in 2006. In 2011, he established his law firm, Law Offices of Vivek Malek, with a focus on immigration law. The Missouri House of Representatives and Senate recognized "his service and contributions to Missouri communities" in 2007 and 2015, respectively, and the St. Louis Business Journal awarded him their Minority Business Leader Award in 2010. He also appeared on Business Today's list of "30 under 30." In 2020, Governor Mike Parson appointed him to the board of governors of his alma mater, Southeast Missouri State University.

Prior to his appointment as treasurer, Malek worked in real estate with Nathan Cooper, whose law firm he'd previously worked for. Cooper became notorious in St. Louis for unmaintained rental properties. Malek describes his involvement as both a family enterprise and passive investment, claiming he was not aware of unaddressed tenant complaints.

On December 20, 2022, Parson appointed Malek Treasurer of Missouri, following Scott Fitzpatrick's election as State Auditor. He became the first person of color to hold statewide office in Missouri. He successfully sought reelection to a full term in 2024.

In 2025, Malek urged Vanguard—one of the world’s largest investment management firms—to offer an option excluding Chinese equities within the state’s $4.5 billion 529 college savings plan. Citing fiduciary and geopolitical concerns, Malek sent a letter on April 14 requesting a China-free exchange-traded fund (ETF) and indicated Vanguard’s role as plan manager could be reconsidered without such an option.

Following communication with Malek’s office, Vanguard filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on May 30 to launch the Vanguard Emerging Markets Ex-China ETF. According to Reuters, this followed roughly six weeks after Malek’s initial outreach. The move aligns with a broader industry trend, with several “ex-China” ETFs debuting in 2024. Malek has also supported promoting the fund to Missouri’s smaller public pension systems.

In 2023, Malek proposed divesting state pension funds from investments in China, citing economic risks, geopolitical instability, poor investment performance, human rights concerns, and the need to ensure the best return for Missouri state employees' pensions. Initially, the proposal was rejected by the MOSER board, but passed in a special meeting requested by Mike Parson. Opponents criticized the proposal as politically motivated related to Malek's campaign, and the request by Parson as interference.