Early Life and Education of Nicole Shanahan: A Complete Timeline

Discover the defining moments in the early life of Nicole Shanahan. From birth to education, explore key events.

Nicole Shanahan is an American attorney and entrepreneur based in Silicon Valley. She gained prominence as Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s running mate during his 2024 presidential campaign. Her background encompasses both legal expertise and entrepreneurial ventures, positioning her at the intersection of technology, law, and politics. Shanahan's involvement in the presidential campaign highlights her increasing role in the political landscape.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

September 26, 1985: Nicole Shanahan's birth

On September 26, 1985, Nicole Ann Shanahan was born. She is an American attorney and entrepreneur working in Silicon Valley.

Others born on this day/year

2007: Graduation from the University of Puget Sound

In 2007, Nicole Shanahan earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Puget Sound, where she studied Asian studies, economics, and Mandarin Chinese.

2011: Dating Jeremy Kranz

In 2011, Nicole Shanahan began dating Jeremy Asher Kranz.

2014: Conversion to Judaism

In 2014, Nicole Shanahan converted to Judaism while she was engaged to Jeremy Kranz, her first husband.

2014: Graduation from Santa Clara University School of Law

In 2014, Nicole Shanahan graduated with a J.D. from Santa Clara University School of Law.

2014: Marriage to Jeremy Asher Kranz

In 2014, Nicole Shanahan married Jeremy Asher Kranz. She also met Sergey Brin at a yoga festival and began an affair with him.

2014: Death of Father

In 2014, Nicole Shanahan's father, a computer specialist, passed away.

2015: Divorce from Jeremy Kranz

In 2015, Nicole Shanahan and Jeremy Asher Kranz divorced.

2016: Contribution to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign

In 2016, Nicole Shanahan made contributions to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.

2018: Funding of the Center for Female Reproductive Longevity and Equality

In 2018, Nicole Shanahan helped fund and launch the Center for Female Reproductive Longevity and Equality within the Buck Institute for Research on Aging.

2018: Marriage to Sergey Brin

In 2018, Nicole Shanahan married Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google.

2018: Marriage to Sergey Brin and Birth of daughter

In 2018, Nicole Shanahan married Sergey Brin. They also had a daughter together in 2018.

December 2019: Co-hosted fundraiser for Pete Buttigieg

In December 2019, Nicole Shanahan co-hosted a fundraiser for Pete Buttigieg, along with other wealthy Silicon Valley figures.

2019: Establishment of Bia-Echo Foundation

In 2019, Nicole Shanahan established a private foundation, Bia-Echo, to promote research to lengthen the human reproductive lifespan.

2019: Pledge to contribute $100 million through Bia-Echo

In 2019, Nicole Shanahan pledged to contribute $100 million through Bia-Echo over five years, mostly for reproductive longevity research. She has criticized in vitro fertilization (IVF).

2020: Purchase of estate in Malibu

In 2020, Nicole Shanahan and Sergey Brin maintained an estate at Point Dume in Malibu, California, purchased in 2020.

2020: Daughter's autism diagnosis

In 2020, Nicole Shanahan and Sergey Brin's daughter was diagnosed with autism.

2020: Sale of ClearAccessIP

In 2020, Nicole Shanahan sold her legal tech company, ClearAccessIP, to IPwe in exchange for an estimated $20 million in IPwe stock.

2020: Contributions to Measure J and George Gascón's campaign

In 2020, Nicole Shanahan was a "major donor" to Measure J, a criminal justice reform referendum in Los Angeles County. Also in 2020, she contributed $150,000 to support George Gascón's campaign for Los Angeles County District Attorney.

2020: Support for Joe Biden's campaign

In 2020, after Joe Biden became the presumptive nominee, Nicole Shanahan supported his campaign, contributing $25,000 to the Biden Victory Fund and a five-figure sum to the Democratic National Committee.

December 2021: Separation from Sergey Brin

In December 2021, Nicole Shanahan and Sergey Brin separated, marking the beginning of the end of their marriage.

2021: Separation from Sergey Brin

In 2021, Nicole Shanahan and Sergey Brin separated.

2021: Contribution to Bia-Echo foundation

In 2021, Sergey Brin, then-husband of Nicole Shanahan, made another contribution to the Bia-Echo foundation.

January 2022: Brin files for Divorce

In January 2022, Sergey Brin officially filed for divorce from Nicole Shanahan, initiating legal proceedings to dissolve their marriage.

2022: Donation to Blue Meridian Partners

In 2022, Nicole Shanahan gave $70 million to Blue Meridian Partners, which makes grants to nonprofits that aim to help the impoverished.

2022: Meeting Jacob Strumwasser

In 2022, Nicole Shanahan met Jacob Strumwasser at the Burning Man festival, which eventually led to their "love ceremony" in 2023.

2022: Advice from Dr. Jack Kruse

In 2022, Nicole Shanahan sought the advice of Dr. Jack Kruse regarding her daughter's autism. She modified her home to limit non-sun light, as well as Wi-Fi and cellular signals and converted her swimming pool to saltwater, based on his advice.

2022: Bia-Echo financial status

In 2022, the Bia-Echo Foundation reported owning $13.7 million in government securities and $12.2 million in stocks and bonds, and reported making $0 in grants or contributions to outside groups.

January 2023: Investment in Linus Biotechnology, Inc.

In January 2023, Nicole Shanahan invested in Linus Biotechnology, Inc. (LinusBio) during a venture funding round.

May 2023: Donation to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s campaign

In May 2023, Nicole Shanahan donated the maximum of $6,600 to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s campaign for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination.

October 2023: Disappointment with Kennedy's independent candidacy

In October 2023, after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that he would run in the general election as an independent candidate, Nicole Shanahan said she was "incredibly disappointed" and would not support his candidacy.

2023: Divorce from Sergey Brin

In 2023, Nicole Shanahan and Sergey Brin divorced.

2023: Divorce Finalized

In 2023, Nicole Shanahan and Sergey Brin's divorce was finalized through a confidential arbitration process.

2023: Love Ceremony with Jacob Strumwasser

In 2023, Nicole Shanahan held a "love ceremony" of commitment with Jacob Strumwasser, an advisor at Lightning Labs. She described the event as a handfasting ceremony influenced by Druidic tradition.

2023: Interview about her childhood

In a 2023 interview, Nicole Shanahan described her childhood as "very hard," marked by traumatic experiences and poverty.

2023: Focus on autism research

In a 2023 interview, Nicole Shanahan said that finding a "cure to autism" was an additional focus of Bia-Echo, and estimated that she spent 60% of her time researching autism.

March 2024: Considered as a potential running mate

In March 2024, Amaryllis Fox Kennedy confirmed that Nicole Shanahan was on the candidate's "short list" of potential running mates.

March 2024: Shanahan's wealth estimated

In March 2024, Forbes estimated that Nicole Shanahan likely received around 2.6 million Alphabet Class B shares from Sergey Brin, worth $390 million. It was speculated she possibly received an additional, equal amount of Class C shares.

March 2024: Named as running mate

In March 2024, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. named Nicole Shanahan as his running mate in his presidential campaign. Shanahan has questioned the scientific consensus on vaccine safety and efficacy.

March 26, 2024: Announcement as vice presidential selection

On March 26, 2024, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. formally announced Nicole Shanahan as his selection for vice president during a campaign event in Oakland, California.

May 2024: Divergent views

In May 2024, Nicole Shanahan and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. expressed divergent views. Shanahan suggested that the campaign was intended to force a contingent election in the House of Representatives, a suggestion Kennedy disavowed.

August 2024: Limited ballot access

By August 2024, the Kennedy/Shanahan campaign had gained ballot access in only 16 of the 50 states, representing 140 of the 538 electoral votes.

August 20, 2024: Consideration of joining forces with Trump

On August 20, 2024, Nicole Shanahan said that the Kennedy campaign had discussions with the Trump campaign, and that she and Kennedy were considering whether to drop out of the race and join forces with Trump.

August 27, 2024: Interview on NewsNation

On August 27, 2024, Chris Cuomo interviewed Nicole Shanahan on NewsNation regarding Kennedy's endorsement of Trump. Shanahan specifically stated that she is not a Harris Democrat or a Trump Republican.

October 2024: Attempt to bribe journalist

In October 2024, The Washington Post reported that Nicole Shanahan attempted to bribe a journalist from the same newspaper with US$500,000 to reveal the sources of a profile story on her.

2024: Bankruptcy of IPwe

In 2024, IPwe, the company to which Nicole Shanahan sold ClearAccessIP, went bankrupt.

2024: Running mate in 2024 presidential campaign

In 2024, Nicole Shanahan was Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s running mate in his presidential campaign.

2024: Richest vice presidential candidate

In 2024, Nicole Shanahan was considered the richest candidate for vice president in at least 50 years. She gave almost $19 million on the Kennedy/Shanahan campaign, a small portion of her wealth.

2024: Donation to Super Bowl Ad

In early 2024, Nicole Shanahan reversed course and resumed backing Robert F. Kennedy Jr.. Through Planeta Management LLC, she donated $4 million to a super PAC to pay for a 30-second television Super Bowl ad, aired during Super Bowl LVIII, supporting the campaign.

2024: Questioning vaccine safety and efficacy

In interviews in 2024, Nicole Shanahan expressed support for Kennedy's anti-vaccine advocacy and questioned the scientific consensus on their safety and efficacy.

January 28, 2025: Threats of political retribution

On January 28, 2025, Nicole Shanahan released a video on X where she threatened political retribution against any senator who didn't vote to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.