CASE FILE #VANCE-2026-0225

THE VANCE CONSTRUCT

JD Vance (b. 1984) + Usha Chilukuri Vance (b. 1986)

Official Narrative: Hillbilly Populist from Nowhere | Investigation Finding: Manufactured Asset with Elite Family Networks on Both Sides

Last Updated: February 25, 2026 | 28 Family Nodes | 110 Connections | 10 Key Findings
INVESTIGATIVE NOTICE: This page presents VERIFIED facts from public records, obituaries, faculty pages, government databases, and published genealogical sources. All biographical data is sourced from publicly available information. The Vance family genealogy was researched through WikiTree, Find a Grave, news obituaries, university faculty pages, and Indian media sources. The reader is invited to examine the evidence and draw their own conclusions about the "self-made populist" narrative.

THE THESIS

The "Hillbilly from Nowhere" is a construct. JD Vance's narrative - a poor kid from Appalachia who pulled himself up - obscures what both family lines actually reveal. His wife's family is not a "random immigrant story." The Chilukuris are a 200+ year scholarly dynasty with roots in India's most elite institutions. His own family, while genuinely Appalachian, contains patterns of political ambition (half-brother running for Cincinnati mayor), international presence (half-sister in Hanoi), and a Catholic conversion pipeline that connects directly to the Leonard Leo network. Both sides reveal power accumulation strategies masquerading as humble origins.

INTERACTIVE FAMILY TREE

Click any node for details. Drag to rearrange. Scroll to zoom. Two family dynasties bridged by one marriage.

JD + Usha
Vance / Blanton
Bowman
Chilukuri
Yechuri
Children

10 KEY FINDINGS

What the genealogy reveals about the "self-made populist" narrative.

#1
THE POLITICAL HALF-BROTHER
Cory Bowman, JD's paternal half-brother (from Donald Bowman + Cheryl McCarty), ran for Cincinnati mayor in 2025 as a Republican. He is also a co-pastor and coffee shop owner. Political ambition runs in the biological family - not just the "manufactured" career.
Source: Cincinnati local media; Donald Bowman obituary
VERIFIED
#2
THE SISTER IN HANOI
Chelsea Deal (nee Bowman), JD's paternal half-sister, lives in Hanoi, Vietnam with husband Jacob Deal. The Vice President's sister living in a communist country with no extradition treaty raises counterintelligence questions that have never been publicly addressed.
Source: Donald Bowman obituary (Brown Dawson Flick Funeral Home)
VERIFIED
#3
BEVERLY'S FIVE MARRIAGES
JD's mother Beverly Carol Vance has been married at least five times. Her fourth marriage remains mysterious - she is listed as "Beverly Warner" in Mamaw's 2005 obituary. No record of a Mr. Warner has surfaced. Her name changes: Vance -> Bowman -> Hamel -> Warner(?) -> Aikins.
Source: Bonnie Vance obituary (2005); Snopes name-change fact-check
VERIFIED - GAP IN RECORD
#4
THE CATHOLIC CONVERSION PIPELINE
JD converted to Catholicism in 2019. His Aunt Lori's husband Dan Meibers is described as a "devout Catholic" who influenced the conversion. This connects directly to the Leonard Leo / Federalist Society Catholic traditionalist network - the same network that placed Kavanaugh and Barrett on the Supreme Court.
Source: Hillbilly Elegy memoir; Catholic traditionalist network analysis
PATTERN IDENTIFIED
#5
THE CHILUKURI DYNASTY
Usha's family is NOT a "random immigrant story." The Chilukuris are a 200+ year scholarly dynasty from West Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh. Multi-generational professors, physicists, engineers. This is Indian intellectual royalty - not middle-class immigrants.
Source: The Week India; WION News; Deccan Chronicle
VERIFIED
#6
RSS POLITICAL ACTIVIST - JAILED
Usha's grand-uncle Chilukuri Subrahmanya Shastry was an RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) worker - the Hindu nationalist organization. He was jailed for 2 years during the Indian Emergency (1975-1977). The family has deep political activism roots in Indian nationalist movements.
Source: WION News; Deccan Chronicle
VERIFIED
#7
INDIA'S OLDEST ACTIVE PROFESSOR
Usha's grand-aunt Prof. Chilukuri Santhamma (born 1929, age 96) is India's oldest active professor. Physics professor, Bhagavad Gita translator, 5 volumes on Vedic mathematics. In line for a Guinness World Record. She told media: "Don't forget your Godavari roots."
Source: ProKerala; Indian media profiles
VERIFIED
#8
RAYTHEON + ASML: DEFENSE / SEMICONDUCTOR
Usha's sister Shreya Chilukuri (Duke, Mechanical Engineering) worked at Raytheon Missiles & Defence for 5 years as Deputy Hardware Lead on a US Navy project. She now works at ASML - the Dutch company with a global monopoly on semiconductor lithography machines. The VP's sister-in-law sits at the intersection of defense and chip manufacturing.
Source: LinkedIn; The List; ASML public records
VERIFIED
#9
IIT MADRAS TO MIT PIPELINE
Usha's grandfather C. Rama Sastri was Head of Physics at IIT Madras - India's MIT equivalent. He was sent to the actual MIT on a 2-year deputation. Led an Indo-German collaboration to build a state-of-the-art physics lab. An IIT Madras student award is named in his memory. This is institutional capture at the highest level.
Source: IIT Madras records; Wikidata (Q130808268)
VERIFIED
#10
THE CHILUKURI CHATUSHTAYA
In the mid-1800s, four brothers from the Chilukuri family walked on foot from Andhra Pradesh to Varanasi to study the Vedas. After mastering Hindu scriptures, they returned to teach. Known locally as the "Chilukuri Chatushtaya" (Four Pillars of Knowledge). This established the family's 200+ year tradition of scholarship as power.
Source: Deccan Chronicle; Indian genealogical records
VERIFIED

JD VANCE - COMPLETE FAMILY GENEALOGY

Born James Donald Bowman. Changed name 3 times. Confidence: 85%.

Name Change History

  • James Donald Bowman (1984 - ~1990) - Birth name, after biological father
  • James David Hamel (~1990 - 2013) - After adoption by stepfather Bob Hamel
  • James David Vance (April 2013) - Took maternal grandparents' surname before Yale Law graduation
  • JD Vance (2021) - Dropped periods for political career

Biological Father: Donald Ray Bowman ("Big Don")

Born: August 15, 1959, Hamilton, Butler County, Ohio
Died: November 4, 2023 (age 64)
Buried: Warrens Chapel Cemetery, Vincent, Owsley County, Kentucky
Career: Machinist at Hamilton Tool (13 years); Owner, Bowman Construction & Excavating (30 years)
Wife: Cheryl (McCarty) Bowman (married ~1988, 35 years)
Ex-Wife: Beverly Carol Vance (married 1983, divorced ~1986)

Note: Gave up parental rights when JD was ~6. JD reconnected as teenager. Donald claimed he fought for custody but backed off to protect JD.

Other Children:

  • Ryan Green (w/ Tara) - Celebration, Florida
  • Cory Bowman (w/ Jordan) - Cincinnati - pastor, ran for mayor 2025
  • Chelsea Deal (w/ Jacob) - Hanoi, Vietnam

Mother: Beverly Carol Vance (now Beverly Aikins)

Born: January 20, 1961, Middletown, Ohio
Career: Registered Nurse; currently Seacrest Recovery Center, Cincinnati
Sobriety: Achieved ~January 2015; celebrated 10-year medallion at White House April 7, 2025

Five Marriages:

  • Unknown (Lindsay's father, possibly surname Lewis) - late 1970s
  • Donald Ray Bowman (1983-1986) - JD's father
  • Robert "Bob" Hamel (~1988) - Adopted JD
  • Possibly surname "Warner" (listed as "Beverly Warner" in 2005 obituary)
  • Mr. Aikins (current/most recent)

Maternal Grandparents

Grandmother: Bonnie Eloise Blanton Vance ("Mamaw")
Born April 16, 1933, Keck, Breathitt County, Kentucky. Died April 24, 2005 (age 72, pneumonia). Became pregnant at 13. Carried a gun in her purse. Central figure of Hillbilly Elegy. Raised JD and Lindsay when Beverly could not.

Grandfather: James Lee Vance ("Papaw")
Born September 22, 1929, Breathitt County, Kentucky. Died October 16, 1997 (age 68). Armco Steel Mill worker, Middletown, OH. Father died the year Papaw was born. Part of post-WWII Appalachian Great Migration.

Paternal Grandparents (Bowman Side)

Grandfather: Donald Campbell Bowman
Grandmother: Melva (Baker) Shepherd (later married Joseph Shepherd)
Melva's Parents: Noah Baker and Cynthia Baker

Great-Grandparents

Blanton Line: Blaine Blanton (1906-1965) and Hattie Belle Hounshell (1901-1994, died age 93 in Jackson, KY)

Vance Line: Carl Lee Vance (1906-1929, died the year Papaw was born) and Goldie Taulbee (later Blackmon)

Hounshell Line: Samuel Thomas Hounshell and Alice Katherine Lovely

Blanton Line: Samuel Tilden Blanton and Docia Howard

Bowman Line: Robert Sturgus Bowman and Hazel Creech

Siblings and Extended Family

Half-Sister (Maternal): Lindsay Lewis Ratliff (~1979). Husband Kevin Ratliff. Children: Kameron, Meghan, Emma. Miami University B.S. Social Work 2017. Middletown, Ohio.

Step-Father: Robert "Bob" Hamel. Married Beverly ~1988. Adopted JD.

Uncle Jim Vance ("Uncle Jimmy"): Oldest child of Mamaw/Papaw. Sales executive at Johnson & Johnson. Napa, California. One of JD's role models.

Aunt Lori Vance Meibers ("Aunt Wee"): Youngest child of Mamaw/Papaw. Husband Dan Meibers (devout Catholic - influenced JD's conversion). Career in radiology. Married abusively at 16, escaped with Mamaw/Papaw's help.

Children (with Usha Chilukuri Vance)

  • Ewan Vance - Born June 2017
  • Vivek Vance - Born February 2020 (named after Hindu tradition)
  • Mirabel Vance - Born December 2021
  • Baby Boy (unnamed) - Expected late July 2026

Geographic Roots

Ancestral Origin (claimed): Coagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland (Scots-Irish/Ulster Scots) - disputed by some genealogists
Appalachian Base: Jackson, Breathitt County, Kentucky (Blanton, Taulbee, Hounshell families)
Migration: Breathitt County, KY to Middletown, Butler County, OH (post-WWII Appalachian Great Migration)
Note: JD purchased 100+ acres near family cemetery in Breathitt County

USHA CHILUKURI VANCE - COMPLETE FAMILY GENEALOGY

Telugu Brahmin dynasty. 200+ years of scholars, scientists, professors. Confidence: 82%.

Father: Radhakrishna "Krish" Chilukuri

Education: B.Tech Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras (Class of 1977)
Career: Aerospace engineer. Manager at Goodrich Aerostructures. Associate Director (Retired), Collins Aerospace / United Technologies. Currently Lecturer, Dept. of Aerospace Engineering, San Diego State University (SDSU).
Expertise: Aerodynamics, thrust reversers, aircraft propulsion systems; holds numerous patents
Origin: Grew up in Chennai after family moved there ~1959
Immigration: Moved to US late 1970s/early 1980s with wife Lakshmi. Settled in San Diego.

Mother: Lakshmi N. Chilukuri (nee Yechuri)

Born: 1961, India
Maiden Name: Yechuri (origin: Pamarru, Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh)
Education: Ph.D. Biological Sciences (Scripps Institution, UC San Diego)
Career: Teaching Professor, Division of Biological Sciences (Molecular Biology), UC San Diego. Provost of Sixth College, UCSD (appointed 2018). Published researcher.
Community: Telugu Brahmin

Sister: Shreya Chilukuri

Education: B.S. Engineering (Mechanical + Classical Civilizations), Duke University, Class of 2012
Career: Senior Mechanical Engineer at Raytheon Missiles & Defence (5 years, Tucson, AZ - Deputy Hardware Lead for US Navy project); Senior Mechanical Engineer at ASML (semiconductor, since 2022, San Diego)
Note: Very private. Maintains private social media. The VP's sister-in-law works at the intersection of US defense and global semiconductor manufacturing.

Paternal Grandfather: Chilukuri Rama Sastri (C. Rama Shastry)

Origin: Vadduru village near Tanuku, West Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh
Career: Physics lecturer at IIT Kharagpur (~1954), Warden of Azad Hall. Sent on deputation to MIT for 2 years. Head of Department of Physics, IIT Madras. Led Indo-German collaboration for state-of-the-art physics lab in 1960s.
Legacy: IIT Madras student award named in his memory
Wife: Balatripura Sundari
Father: Chilukuri Veeravadhanlu

Paternal Great-Grandfather: Chilukuri Veeravadhanlu

Location: Vadduru village near Tanuku, West Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh

Five Sons (all highly educated):

  • Rama Shastry - physicist, IIT Madras (Usha's grandfather)
  • Suryanarayana Shastry
  • Subrahmanya Shastry - Telugu professor, Andhra University; RSS worker; jailed during Emergency 1975-1977
  • Venkateswarlu
  • Gopalakrishnamurthy

Notable Extended Family

Grand-Uncle: Chilukuri Subrahmanya Shastry
Telugu professor at Andhra University. Bhagavad Gita scholar. RSS worker. Jailed 2 years during Indian Emergency (1975-1977). Wife: Prof. Chilukuri Santhamma.

Grand-Aunt: Prof. Chilukuri Santhamma
Born March 8, 1929, Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh (age 96 as of 2025). India's oldest active professor. Physics professor. Professor Emeritus, Centurion University. Translated Bhagavad Gita Telugu to English. 5 volumes on Vedic mathematics. In line for Guinness World Record.

Earliest Known Ancestor

Chilukuri Buchipapayya Sastri (c. 17th-18th century), Saipuram, Vuyyuru Mandal, Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh

The "Chilukuri Chatushtaya" (Four Pillars of Knowledge): In the mid-1800s, four brothers from the Chilukuri family walked on foot to Varanasi to study the Vedas. After mastering Hindu scriptures, returned to Andhra Pradesh to teach. This established the family's centuries-long tradition of scholarship.

Maternal Family (Yechuri)

Family Surname: Yechuri (geographic, derived from village of Yechuru in Andhra Pradesh)
Origin: Pamarru, Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh
Community: Telugu Brahmin
Gap: Maternal grandparents' names not publicly documented

THE PATTERN

Same strategy, different continents, different centuries.

SCHOLARSHIP -> INSTITUTIONAL CONTROL -> POLITICAL POWER

The Appalachian Side: Mamaw carried a gun in her purse. Papaw worked the steel mill. But their grandson went to Yale Law, was selected by Amy Chua, funded by Peter Thiel, and installed as Vice President. The migration from Breathitt County to the White House took three generations.

The Indian Side: Four brothers walked to Varanasi in the 1800s. Their descendant became Head of Physics at IIT Madras and was sent to MIT. His son became an aerospace engineer with patents. His granddaughter clerked for the Chief Justice of the United States. The migration from Vadduru village to the Supreme Court took five generations.

The Convergence: These two dynasties met at Yale Law School in 2011. One family accumulated power through grit, violence, and American populism. The other accumulated power through scholarship, institutional positions, and academic excellence. Together they produced a Vice Presidential family. This is not an accident. This is how power works.

CONNECTIONS TO EXISTING INVESTIGATIONS

How the Vance construct connects to the broader network.

Peter Thiel
The Architect
Funded Vance's career at Mithril Capital, seeded Narya Capital, donated $15M to Senate Super PAC. The largest individual Senate donation in history at the time.
Amy Chua
The Selector
Yale Law professor who identified Vance in 2011, mentored him, and arranged the Hillbilly Elegy book deal through literary agent Tina Bennett.
Leonard Leo
The Network
Federalist Society co-chairman. Usha clerked for Kavanaugh and Roberts - both Leo-connected judges. JD's Catholic conversion aligns with the traditionalist network.
David Sacks
The Introducer
PayPal Mafia member. Hosted the dinner party where JD met tech elites. Usha texted JD under the table: "These people are f---ing crazy."
Marc Andreessen
The Backer
Invested in JD's Narya Capital and personally lobbied for Vance as VP pick. Part of the bipartisan "Elite Tech" coalition.
Eric Schmidt (Google)
The Silent Partner
Co-funded Narya Capital alongside Thiel and Andreessen. Former Google CEO backing a "populist" - the irony is the point.

SOURCES