Jump to content

Vivek Malek

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vivek Malek
48th Treasurer of Missouri
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 17, 2023
GovernorMike Parson
Mike Kehoe
Preceded byScott Fitzpatrick
Personal details
Born1977 (age 48–49)
Rohtak, India
PartyRepublican
SpouseRiju
Children3
EducationMaharshi Dayanand University (BA, LLB)
Southeast Missouri State University (MBA)
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (LLM)

Vivek Malek (born 1977)[1][2] is an American attorney, businessman, and politician who is the State Treasurer of Missouri. First appointed Treasurer by Missouri Governor Mike Parson in 2022,[1] he was elected to a full term in 2024.[3][4] He is a member of the Republican Party and the first person of color to win state office in Missouri history.[5]

Early life and education

[edit]

Malek was born and raised in India.[6] He graduated from Maharshi Dayanand University with a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Law, and went on to receive a Master of Business Administration from Southeast Missouri State University and a Master of Laws from the University of Illinois College of Law.[2]

Career

[edit]

Malek began practicing law in Missouri in 2006. In 2011, he established his law firm, Law Offices of Vivek Malek, with a focus on immigration law. The Missouri House of Representatives and Senate recognized "his service and contributions to Missouri communities" in 2007 and 2015, respectively, and the St. Louis Business Journal awarded him their Minority Business Leader Award in 2010. He also appeared on Business Today's list of "30 under 30." In 2020, Governor Mike Parson appointed him to the board of governors of his alma mater, Southeast Missouri State University.[2]

Prior to his appointment as treasurer, Malek worked in real estate with Nathan Cooper, whose law firm he'd previously worked for. Cooper became notorious in St. Louis for unmaintained rental properties. Malek describes his involvement as both a family enterprise and passive investment, saying he was not aware of unaddressed tenant complaints.[7]

State Treasurer of Missouri

[edit]

On December 20, 2022, Parson appointed Malek Treasurer of Missouri, following Scott Fitzpatrick's election as State Auditor.[2] He became the first person of color to hold statewide office in Missouri. He successfully sought reelection to a full term in 2024.[6]

China divestment

[edit]

In 2023, Malek proposed divesting state pension funds from investments in China, citing citing COVID-19, the 2023 Chinese balloon incident, Chinese suppliers of Fentanyl, and foreign relations.[8] The proposal was rejected by the MOSER board,[9] but passed in a special meeting requested by Mike Parson. Opponents criticized the proposal as politically motivated related to Malek's campaign, and the request by Parson as interference.[10]

In April 14 2025, Malek requested a China-free exchange-traded fund (ETF) for the state college savings plan from The Vanguard Group. On May 30, Vanguard filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to launch the Vanguard Emerging Markets Ex-China ETF. Malek has also supported promoting the fund to Missouri’s smaller public pension systems.[11][12][13]

Unclaimed property

[edit]

Malek increased efforts to return unclaimed property, returning more than previous treasurers.[14] In 2023, the Treasurer’s office held approximately $1.39 billion in unclaimed property. That year, Malek facilitated the return of $51,817,543.80 in unclaimed property, surpassing the previous record set in the prior fiscal year.[15]

He drew bipartisan criticism from making a deal to advertise the unclaimed property program on Torch Electronics gaming machines, a company in an ongoing legal battle with the state. Legislators questioned the arrangement, as well as the meeting between Malek and company owner arranged by lobbyist Steven Tilley. Malek removed the advertisements following a committee hearing on the issue.[16]

MOBUCK$

[edit]

Malek has advocated to expand the capacity of the MOBUCK$ low interest loan program, which closed 2023 applications early due to high demand.[7][17] When the program opened with $119 million in available funds on January 2, all funds were allocated within six hours, reflecting the high interest from applicants facing rising interest rates. Malek has championed the program's expansion, and House Bill 1803 was passed in 2024 to increase MOBUCK$ funding from $800 million to $1.2 billion.[18]

DEI

[edit]

Malek has argued that DEI programs prioritize equality of outcomes over equality of opportunity, and that inclusion and equity statements in job posts favor political activism over academic and teaching.[19]

Immigration

[edit]

Malek described Biden administration’s immigration policies as a "disastrous open-border policy." Malek says that illegal immigration increases costs to the state related to the fentanyl crisis and criminal activity. He considered Biden's removal of Title 42 limits an insult to legal immigrants.[20]

2024 Campaign

[edit]

Malek successfully sought reelection to a full term in 2024, and won the Republican nomination against several challengers in August.[21][22]

Personal life

[edit]

Malek resides in Wildwood, Missouri, with his wife, Riju, and their three children.[2]

Electoral history

[edit]

State treasurer

[edit]
Missouri Treasurer primary election, August 6, 2024[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Vivek Malek (incumbent) 273,930 41.5
Republican Andrew Koenig 135,828 20.6
Republican Lori Rook 127,970 19.4
Republican Cody Smith 97,029 14.7
Republican Tina Goodrick 19,115 2.9
Missouri Treasurer general election, November 5, 2024[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Vivek Malek (incumbent) 1,684,714 57.931 −1.17
Democratic Mark Osmack 1,106,236 38.039 −0.06
Libertarian John A. Hartwig, Jr. 81,443 2.801 0.60
Green Reagan Haase 35,745 0.63
Total votes 2,908,138 100.00%
Republican hold


References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Erickson, Kurt (January 6, 2023). "Parson's Pick for State Treasurer Delays Swearing in to Skirt Term Limits". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e KY3 Staff (December 20, 2022). "Missouri Gov. Parson selects next state treasurer". KYTV. Retrieved December 21, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ "Election Results" (PDF). Missouri Secretary of State. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  4. ^ "All Results State of Missouri – State of Missouri – General Election, November 5, 2024". Missouri Secretary of State. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  5. ^ Wallington, Natalie (November 6, 2024). "The Kansas City area election results you might have missed". Kansas City Star. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  6. ^ a b Kellogg, Sarah (December 21, 2022). "New Missouri Treasurer Vivek Malek will be first person of color to hold statewide office". KCUR-FM. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  7. ^ a b Barker, Jacob (2024-03-31). "Missouri's treasurer owned rundown St. Louis properties, had ties to a 'problem' landlord". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  8. ^ Malek, Vivek (2023-11-29). "Legislature should oppose pension investments in China • Columbia Missourian". Columbia Missourian. Retrieved 2025-01-11.
  9. ^ Keller, Rudi (2023-11-20). "Missouri pension board rejects push by Vivek Malek for China divestment • Missouri Independent". Missouri Independent. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  10. ^ Keller, Rudi (2023-12-12). "State board votes to divest Missouri employee pension fund from China • Missouri Independent". Missouri Independent. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  11. ^ McGee, Suzanne; Ross Kerber (June 3, 2024). "Vanguard new ex-China ETF followed push from Missouri Republicans". Reuters. Retrieved June 18, 2025.
  12. ^ "States Push Back on China Exposure in College Savings Plans". Bloomberg. May 20, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2025.
  13. ^ "How US State Officials Are Influencing ESG and China Investment Strategies". Financial Times. Retrieved June 18, 2025.
  14. ^ Hanshaw, Annelise (2024-08-06). "Vivek Malek wins Republican nomination for Missouri Treasurer". Missouri Independent. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
  15. ^ "Missouri State Treasurer breaks record for returned unclaimed property". KTTN. 19 June 2023. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
  16. ^ Keller, Rudi (2024-02-27). "Missouri state treasurer removes ads on unregulated slot machines after grilling by lawmakers • Missouri Independent". Missouri Independent. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  17. ^ Lubinski, Amanda (2023-12-14). "State treasurer urges MOBUCK$ program expansion". Courier-Tribune. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
  18. ^ "Governor Parson Signs HB 1803 into Law, Expanding MOBUCK$ Program". State of Missouri. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
  19. ^ Malek, Vivek (2023-04-19). "Vivek Malek: Missouri DEI reforms will cut waste, promote academic freedom on campus • Columbia Missourian". Columbia Missourian. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  20. ^ Malek, Vivek (2023-05-20). "Vivek Malek: Failure to control illegal immigration exposes states to soaring costs • Joplin Globe". Joplin Globe. Retrieved 2025-01-22.
  21. ^ Hanshaw, Annelise (2024-08-06). "Vivek Malek wins Republican nomination for Missouri Treasurer". Missouri Independent. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
  22. ^ "All Results State of Missouri – State of Missouri – General Election, November 5, 2024". Missouri Secretary of State. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  23. ^ "Election Results" (PDF). Missouri Secretary of State. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
  24. ^ "All Results State of Missouri – State of Missouri – General Election, November 5, 2024". Missouri Secretary of State. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vivek_Malek&oldid=1327135226"