Andrew Yang Bio
Andrew Yang (born January 13, 1975) is an American politician, businessman, lawyer, and political commentator who founded the Forward Party in 2021 and serves as its co-chair. The son of Taiwanese-American immigrants, Yang was born in Schenectady, New York, and graduated from Brown University and Columbia Law School. He worked as an attorney, led businesses including Manhattan Prep, and founded the nonprofit Venture for America.
Yang rose to national prominence during the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries on a platform that included a $1,000 monthly universal basic income aimed at addressing automation-driven job loss. After suspending his campaign, he continued public engagement through Humanity Forward and ran for New York City mayor in 2021 before focusing on building a centrist political alternative in American politics.
Early Life and Background
Andrew Yang was born on January 13, 1975, to a Taiwanese-American family in Schenectady, New York. His parents emigrated from Taiwan to the United States in the 1960s and met in graduate school at the University of California, Berkeley. Yang is of Hoklo Taiwanese descent, and he has an older brother, Lawrence, who is a psychology professor at New York University.
His father graduated with a PhD in physics and worked in the research labs of IBM and General Electric, generating more than 50 patents in his career. His mother earned a master’s degree in statistics and later worked as a systems administrator at a university before becoming an artist. Yang grew up in Somers, a town in Westchester County, New York, where his parents raised him with a strong emphasis on education and academic achievement.
He attended Phillips Exeter Academy, a private boarding school in Exeter, New Hampshire, graduating in 1992. While at the school, Yang was part of the 1992 U.S. national debate team, which competed at the world championships in London. He later received a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and political science from Brown University in 1996, followed by a Juris Doctor degree from Columbia University in 1999, where he served as an editor of the Columbia Law Review.
Path to US Politics
Yang’s path to US politics began in the business world, where he developed an interest in economic issues that would later define his political career. After graduating from Columbia Law School, he joined the law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell in New York City, leaving after five months. He then moved into entrepreneurship, co-founding a website for celebrity-affiliated philanthropic fundraising and later serving as vice president of a healthcare startup.
In 2006, he became chief executive officer of Manhattan Prep, a small test preparation company, growing it from five to 69 locations before its acquisition by Kaplan, Inc. in December 2009. Yang later said it was during his time at Manhattan Prep that he became a millionaire. Following the acquisition, he founded the nonprofit Venture for America in 2011 to train young entrepreneurs to start businesses in economically stressed American cities.
His growing profile in business and nonprofit circles led to recognition by the Obama administration. In 2012, Yang was honored as a Champion of Change, and in 2015 he was selected as a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship. These experiences helped him build a national network and sharpened his focus on the economic challenges he would later address as a candidate in the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries.
Andrew Yang Career
2020 Presidential Campaign (2017–2020)
On November 6, 2017, Yang filed with the Federal Election Commission to run for President of the United States in 2020. Initially considered a long shot, his campaign gained momentum in February 2019 after an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast. By March 2019, Yang had met the polling and fundraising thresholds to qualify for the first round of Democratic primary debates, and he later qualified for several subsequent debates.
Yang’s campaign focused on policy, with Reuters describing his approach as technocratic. His signature proposal was a $1,000 monthly universal basic income intended to offset job displacement caused by automation. He also campaigned on ranked-choice voting, data privacy rights, decriminalizing drugs, and reducing government intervention in personal and economic life. The campaign became known for its heavy reliance on internet-based outreach, earning Yang the nickname “The Internet’s Favorite Candidate” from The New York Times.
He dropped out of the presidential race on February 11, 2020, after a disappointing result in the New Hampshire primary. On March 10, 2020, he endorsed Joe Biden during the Michigan Democratic primary. After his campaign, he joined CNN as a political commentator, created the nonprofit Humanity Forward to continue advocating for his signature issues, and endorsed President Biden in the general election.
2021 New York City Mayoral Campaign (2020–2021)
Following his presidential run, Yang was considered a potential candidate in the 2021 New York City mayoral election. He filed paperwork to raise money for his campaign on December 23, 2020, and formally announced his bid on January 13, 2021, his 46th birthday. Early polling showed him leading the field, and he quickly emerged as a front-runner in the Democratic primary.
His campaign drew national attention in January 2021 when reports surfaced that he had left the city during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to stay at a second home in New Paltz, New York. Critics viewed his public comments about the difficulty of managing work and family life in a two-bedroom apartment as out of touch with ordinary New Yorkers. Despite the criticism, Yang maintained a steady lead in polls for several months.
Starting in May 2021, his lead shrank as Eric Adams emerged as another front-runner. After placing fourth in first-place votes on election night, June 22, Yang conceded the race and ended his campaign. The New York City mayoral primary marked Yang’s last major electoral bid before pivoting toward building a national political movement.
Forward Party Era (2021–Present)
On October 4, 2021, Yang announced that he had changed his voter registration from Democrat to Independent, citing concerns about increasing political polarization. The next day, he announced the formation of the Forward Party, a centrist political movement intended to provide an alternative to the two major American political parties. He serves as the party’s co-chair alongside former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman and Michael S. Willner.
On July 27, 2022, the Forward Party announced a merger with the Serve America Movement and the Renew America Movement, creating a unified centrist organization. The party has since achieved official minor-party registration in Nevada and legal party status in Maine and Texas. In August 2022, Yang joined the advisory team at Legendary Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm, to support consumer retail technology investments.
In the 2024 election cycle, Yang supported several candidates across the political spectrum. He donated to Chris Christie’s 2024 Republican presidential primary bid, endorsed Representative Andy Kim in the 2024 New Jersey Senate race, and campaigned for Dean Phillips’ 2024 Democratic presidential primary effort. Following President Biden’s withdrawal, Yang endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president and wrote an opinion piece encouraging fellow independents to support her candidacy.
Notable Events and Milestones
Yang’s political career includes several signature moments, from his rise as an internet-driven dark horse candidate in 2020 to his creation of the Forward Party as a centrist alternative. His supporters, known as the “Yang Gang,” became a notable force in online political organizing. In 2020, he received the 2021 Vilcek Prize for Excellence in Public Service, awarded by the Vilcek Foundation. On February 26, 2021, Yang intervened to stop a physical attack on a journalist aboard the Staten Island Ferry, placing himself between the attacker and the journalist until the assault ceased.
Andrew Yang Family
Family Background and Personal Heritage
Andrew Yang was born to Taiwanese-American parents who emigrated from Taiwan to the United States in the 1960s. His father worked in research at IBM and General Electric, and his mother was a systems administrator before becoming an artist. Yang has an older brother, Lawrence, who is a psychology professor at New York University. He is of Hoklo Taiwanese descent and has said he hoped his 2020 presidential campaign would inspire greater Asian American engagement in American politics.
Personal Life
Andrew Yang has been married to Evelyn Yang, née Lu, since 2011. The couple have two sons, including an older son named Christopher, who is on the autism spectrum. Yang has spoken publicly about his son’s diagnosis and his family’s experiences with autism awareness and support services.
The Yang family lives in a rental apartment in Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan, and also owns a home in New Paltz, New York, purchased in 2015. They attend the Reformed Church of New Paltz, where Mark E. Mast serves as their pastor, and Yang has described himself as spiritual. During a podcast interview, Yang did not rule out a potential future presidential run, leaving open the possibility of another national campaign in the years ahead.