One 2020 Democratic presidential candidate’s social media following helped him meet the benchmarks to join the first round of primary debates.
The support and internet savvy of Andrew Yang’s “Yang Gang” helped boost the entrepreneur’s profile and garner campaign donations. The millionaire former CEO filed to run for president on Nov. 6, 2017 because he “fears for the future of our country.”
A New York native and the son of two Taiwanese immigrants, Yang has economic expertise and experience. Yang is an attorney, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and founded Venture for America, a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching young adults how to initiate startups.
He holds an economics degree from Brown University and a law degree from Columbia Law School.
Universal Basic Income is the paramount campaign promise for Yang 2020, but it is only one of over 100 policy ideas listed on his website. The money to fund his UBI plan, in which $1,000 a month would be given to every citizen over the age of 18, would come out of the pockets of companies benefiting from automation.
Yang is focused on preparing for mass unemployment due to technological automation such as robots, software, and artificial intelligence. The modern-thinking candidate strives to implement “Medicare for all,” human-centered capitalism, and rebuild American infrastructure.
He has received high recognition for his innovation and job creation, being named a Champion of Change in 2012 and a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship in 2015, alongside a few awards from the Obama White House.
The 44-year-old is married to Evelyn Yang, and the couple has two young sons. Yang trains entrepreneurs to create jobs in cities struggling financially, yielding 2,500 jobs across the country between he and his VFA Fellows.
His policy proposals include a department dedicated to regulating social media and net neutrality.
He has written two books, including The War on Normal People: The Truth About America’s Disappearing Jobs and Why Universal Basic Income Is Our Future, detailing his social security plan.
