Ramaswamy Pivots From Anti-ESG Base at Expanding Investment Firm

Biotech entrepreneur and GOP presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy founded Strive Asset Management to counter the “woke” investment practices of more established firms like BlackRock Inc. that factor environmental, social, and governance issues into their decision-making.

Now, as the company enters its sophomore year and barrels past the $1 billion mark in assets under management, its leaders are trying to move beyond “anti-ESG” or “anti-woke” labels to help fuel further growth.

Strive’s leaders have become proselytizers, of sorts, of the philosophy that companies should prioritize shareholders’ views on operating to maximize profit. That mantra, “shareholder primacy,” differs from ...