Lawyer, mother and billionaire’s ex: Who is Nicole Shanahan, RFK Jr’s VP pick?

Less than a decade ago, Nicole Shanahan stood mesmerised at the White House and marvelled at the gravity of the US government.

“Standing on the red carpet and looking out was — it was just, it was wonderful,” Shanahan said in 2017, about 18 months after her White House visit (and before her marriage to one billionaire and rumoured rendezvous with another). “And I have a lot of hope that we can return to a federal governance model that really supports people.”

Now she is attempting another return to DC.

Shanahan, a 38-year-old Californian lawyer and tech powerhouse, was named Tuesday to one of the biggest positions on the planet – longshot presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr tapped her for vice president on his ticket.

Her name was first reported as a VP possibility by Mediaite, who noted that the website domain www.kennedyshanahan.com had been registered on March 13, though the site appeared to be offline on Wednesday.

Shanahan may not have the same name recognition or star status as other names previously floated as VP – NFL provocateur Aaron Rodgers, former governor/wrestler Jesse Ventura, and self help guru Tony Robbins, for example – but she has famous friends with deep pockets, experience with enormous wealth and power, and a hardscrabble backstory that make for the consummate campaign catnip.

The daughter of a Chinese immigrant, Shanahan has donated millions to reproductive research and other causes – while racking up an unusual list of claims to fame. She’s founded and sold one startup; earned a fellowship at Stanford; given birth to a daughter; established a foundation; and survived a headline-grabbing alleged love triangle between her Google-founder then-husband and Elon Musk – just two of the major power