Nicole Shanahan, an American attorney specializing in Silicon Valley, is running mate for Robert F. Kennedy’s running mate in his 2024 independent presidential campaign.
In August 2024, she again made headlines after revealing her consideration of joining forces with Donald Trump’s campaign or forming a third party by staying in.
Shanahan has been open about her personal life, from her marriage to Sergey Brin to experiencing motherhood.
In an interview, Nicole Shanahan, who has a mixed ethnicity, shared what her childhood was like.
Nicole Shanahan has a mixed ethnicity, having been born to a Chinese immigrant mother and a German-Irish father!
Shanahan was born Nicole Ann Shanahan on September 26, 1985, in Placer County, California, USA.
Nicole Shanahan came from a multi-ethnic household. Her mother was Chinese, and her dad was of Irish and German descent.
Growing up on welfare in Oakland, it was not always easy for her. She had to mature faster compared to other kids of her age.
For the majority of her childhood, Nicole had two unemployed parents, and there was no money, almost no parental guidance, and there was lots of chaos and fear.
Her dad struggled with manic depression and addiction. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia when she was nine.
At the time of her birth, Nicole’s mother, Amy Wong, had been in the States for two years. She came to the USA in 1983 under President Jim Carter’s diplomatic efforts with China.
Nicole Shanahan’s mother’s first job after arriving in the USA from Guangzhou, China, was as a living caretaker to an elderly woman at Lake Merritt.
Shanahan grew up with her brother, James Shanahan, in a single-parent household. Her mom raised the Shanahan siblings.
They were on low income and welfare, and she recounted that their mom was ashamed to use food stamps, so she used to ask Nicole and James to leave the store so they wouldn’t see her.
My father passed away in 2014 after decades of suffering from mental health and substance abuse challenges. Even though he struggled to show it, I believe he loved us.
— Nicole Shanahan (@NicoleShanahan) June 17, 2024
Thank you @SteveSlepcevic for your wise words and courage to share your nephew’s story at the Recovering… pic.twitter.com/pN7dxpGi3Y
During summers, Nicole used to escape to her grandparents, and school was the only reliable thing in her life.
Her mom, who initially started on low-wage jobs, later worked as an accountant in the Bay Area, as per Politico magazine.
Unfortunately, her dad passed away in 2014 after suffering from mental health and substance abuse challenges for a decade. She mentioned that her dad struggled to show it, but she believed he loved them.
Additional Information
- According to Celebrity Net Worth, Nicole Shanahan has an estimated net worth of $1 billion, which she got after the divorce settlement from her ex-husband Sergey Brin.
- Nicole Shanahan is a mother of one daughter, born in 2018, with Sergey. After the divorce, she reportedly had an affair with Elon Musk.