“Biotech Investor Jim O’Neill Nominated for Deputy Secretary of HHS: What You Need to Know”
President-elect Trump has nominated biotech investor Jim O’Neill for deputy secretary of the Health and Human Services department. The HHS deputy secretary oversees the day-to-day operations of all sub-agencies, including running the Medicare and Medicaid program, leading public health emergency preparedness, shaping federal research, and more. O’Neill would also oversee the development and clearance of HHS regulations and work under Trump’s pick for HHS secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Trump expressed his confidence in O’Neill and RFK Jr. to work together to ensure the health and well-being of all Americans, especially children, in a statement on the platform Truth Social. O’Neill has a close relationship with billionaire Peter Thiel, co-founding the Thiel Fellowship and serving as managing director of his investment firm Mithril Capital Management. O’Neill is also on the board of ADvantage Therapeutics, a biotech company focused on developing therapies for Alzheimer’s disease. He is known for his advocacy of longevity medicine and is a libertarian.
During the last Trump administration, O’Neill was considered for the position of Food and Drug Administration commissioner. He proposed approving drugs based solely on safety, rather than efficacy, which was seen as a radical approach. Ultimately, Scott Gottlieb was chosen for the role. This time around, Trump is nominating more anti-establishment figures to his cabinet, including RFK Jr. and Johns Hopkins surgeon Marty Makary, who is a skeptic of Covid vaccine mandates and is being considered for FDA commissioner.
O’Neill has shown alignment with RFK Jr. in various posts on the platform X, criticizing vaccine mandates and advocating for a healthier America. He has also echoed RFK Jr.’s concerns about fluoride levels in drinking water and the influence of the food industry on dietary guidelines.
Before his investment career, O’Neill worked as a speechwriter and policy adviser at HHS during the George W. Bush administration, focusing on pandemic preparedness, FDA reform, and public health initiatives. The role of deputy secretary at HHS requires Senate confirmation, but O’Neill’s prior government experience may make the confirmation process smoother. If RFK Jr. faces challenges in Congress, O’Neill could potentially serve as acting secretary in the interim.