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Vivek Ramaswamy raised $450,000 after Wednesday night's GOP debate in Milwaukee, with an average donation of $38, his campaign tells Axios.
Why it matters: Ramaswamy, 38, stood out as aggressive and energetic. The more experienced candidates scolded him as shallow and annoying.
- Ramaswamy tussled on stage with former Vice President Pence over his experience and age.
- He went back and forth with former Gov. Chris Christie, accusing the New Jersey Republican of being motivated by revenge against former President Trump.
- In one of the debate's tensest moments, Ramaswamy and former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley traded barbs over Ukraine and Israel.
Between the lines: Ramaswamy notably criticized neither Trump nor President Biden during the debate, focusing on what he'd do if elected president.
- Trump praised Ramaswamy after the debate, telling Newsmax on Thursday evening that he "did very well."
The big picture: Ramaswamy, a wealthy biotech entrepreneur, is heavily self-financing his campaign.
- He reported about $7.7 million in fundraising in the most recent quarter, according to his FEC report — $5 million of that was a loan from himself.
- So far, Ramaswamy has reported receiving just over $3 million in contributions from other individuals, while he's loaned the campaign more than $15 million.