Andrew Yang Fast Facts
CNN Editorial Research
Here is a look at the life of Andrew Yang, entrepreneur and former 2020 Democratic presidential candidate.
Personal
Birth date: January 13, 1975
Birth place: Schenectady, New York
Birth name: Andrew M. Yang
Father: Kei-Hsiung Yang, researcher at IBM and GE
Mother: Nancy L. Yang, systems administrator
Marriage: Evelyn (Lu) Yang (2011-present)
Children: Two sons
Education: B.A. in Economics, Brown University, 1996; J.D. Columbia University School of Law, 1999
Religion: Protestant
Other Facts
His parents are originally from Taiwan.
The primary proposal for his political platform was the idea of universal basic income (UBI). This “Freedom Dividend” would have provided every citizen with $1,000 a month, or $12,000 a year.
Believes that automation and AI will make millions of jobs obsolete.
Yang established Freedom Dividend, a pilot program to push for universal basic income, in which he personally funds monthly cash payments.
Is featured in the 2016 documentary, “Generation Startup.”
His campaign slogan is “MATH,” or “Make America Think Harder.”
His supporters are sometimes referred to as the “Yang Gang.”
In 1992, he traveled to London as a member of the US National Debate Team.
After graduating from Columbia, Yang practiced law for a short time before changing his career focus to start-ups and entrepreneurship.
Timeline
2002-2005 – Vice president of a healthcare start-up.
2006-2011 – Managing director, then CEO, of Manhattan Prep, a test-prep company.
2009 – Kaplan buys Manhattan Prep for more than $10 million.
September 2011 – Founds Venture for America, a non-profit which connects recent college graduates with start-ups. Leaves the company in 2017.
2012 – Is recognized by President Barack Obama as a “Champion of Change.”
April 2012 – Ranks No. 27 on Fast Company’s list of 100 Most Creative People in Business.
February 4, 2014 – His book, “Smart People Should Build Things: How to Restore Our Culture of Achievement, Build a Path for Entrepreneurs, and Create New Jobs in America,” is published.
May 11, 2015 – Obama names Yang an ambassador for global entrepreneurship.
November 6, 2017 – Files FEC paperwork for a 2020 presidential run.
February 2, 2018 – Announces his run for president via YouTube and Twitter.
April 3, 2018 – His book, “The War on Normal People,” is published.
March 2019 – Yang explores the possibility of using a 3D hologram to be able to campaign remotely in two or three places at once.
January 4, 2020 – Launches a write-in campaign for the Ohio Democratic primary in March of 2020 after failing to fully comply with the state’s ballot access laws.
February 11, 2020 – In New Hampshire, Yang suspends his presidential campaign.
February 19, 2020 – CNN announces that Yang will be joining the network as a political commentator.
March 5, 2020 – Launches Humanity Forward, a nonprofit group that will “endorse and provide resources to political candidates who embrace Universal Basic Income, human-centered capitalism and other aligned policies at every level,” according to its website. Yang also announces that he will launch a podcast in which he will “discuss new ideas to solve the greatest challenges of our time with” notable guests and “regular Americans” alike.
December 23, 2020 – Files paperwork to participate in New York’s 2021 mayoral race, according to city records.
January 13, 2021 – Yang announces his candidacy for New York City mayor.
June 22, 2021 – Yang concedes the New York City mayoral race. In a speech he tells supporters “I am not going to be the mayor of New York City based on the numbers coming in tonight.”
October 4, 2021 – Yang announces in a blog post that he is “breaking up” with the Democratic Party and has registered as an independent
July 27, 2022 – Yang, along with former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, and a group of former Republican and Democratic officials form a new political party called Forward. “Political extremism is ripping our nation apart, and the two major parties have failed to remedy the crisis,” David Jolly, Whitman and Yang write in a Washington Post op-ed.
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