Government/ Politics: GLENN YOUNGKIN
GOVERNOR, COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, RICHMOND
Published
A first-time political candidate, Youngkin led a statewide Republican sweep last fall, in a campaign that mostly kept its distance from former President Donald Trump. Since taking office in January, Youngkin has leaned further rightward, saying he would seek to ban most abortions after 15 weeks and attempting to bar “inherently divisive concepts like Critical Race Theory” from being taught in public schools, a pet cause for conservatives. He also criticized the FBI’s August search of Trump’s Florida resort home, Mar-a-Lago.
Formerly co-CEO of private equity firm The Carlyle Group, Youngkin is Virginia’s wealthiest governor, with a reported net worth of up to $470 million. A lawsuit filed in August alleges that Youngkin received $8.5 million in cash and converted nearly $200 million in company shares into tax-free shares through a 2020 business deal that saw eight other Carlyle execs receive a combined $200-plus million in cash and exchange $4.57 billion in shares for tax-free shares. The payout harmed stockholders, including a pension fund for police and firefighters, the plaintiff argues. However, Youngkin’s spokesperson said the deal was a “transaction that had significant benefits for the company and its shareholders.”
A graduate of Rice University and Harvard Business School, Youngkin grew up in Richmond and Virginia Beach and lived in Great Falls before taking office.
MOST RECENT BOOK READ: “The Virginia Dynasty: Four Presidents and the Creation of the American Nation,” by Lynne Cheney
SOMETHING I’D NEVER DO AGAIN: Wear a blue vest — just kidding.
