Bernie Moreno is a 59-year-old Colombian-born U.S. Senator from Ohio. Discover his business career, political rise, net worth, family, and historic 2024 Senate win.
Bernie Moreno is one of the more unlikely stories in recent American politics — a Colombian-born car dealer and blockchain entrepreneur who defeated a three-term incumbent senator with the backing of Donald Trump and the crypto industry. Since January 3, 2025, he has served as Ohio’s senior United States Senator, making history as the first senator from Ohio with Hispanic roots and one of the first two U.S. senators of Colombian background. His journey from Bogotá to Capitol Hill is, by any measure, a remarkable one.
What makes Moreno’s story compelling is the layered nature of his career. He spent over a decade building one of the largest luxury car dealership groups in the Midwest, then pivoted to blockchain technology before pivoting again to politics. Each chapter reflects the same restless, business-minded ambition that has defined him since he wrote a letter to the president of General Motors as a teenager offering unsolicited advice — and got a reply.
Quick Facts About Bernie Moreno
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Bernardo Francisco Moreno Mejía |
| Date of birth | February 14, 1967 |
| Age (2026) | 59 years old |
| Birthplace | Bogotá, Colombia |
| Profession | U.S. Senator, businessman, entrepreneur |
| Party | Republican |
| Net worth (est.) | $50–$100 million |
| Spouse | Bridget Brickley Moreno |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | University of Michigan (BBA, 1989) |
| Famous for | 2024 Ohio Senate win; luxury car dealerships; Ownum blockchain venture |
Early Life and Family Background
Bernardo Francisco Moreno Mejía was born on February 14, 1967, in Bogotá, Colombia. His father, Bernardo Moreno Mejía, was a physician from one of Bogotá’s prominent families who later held government office. His mother worked in real estate. Bernie has a brother, Luis Alberto Moreno, who went on to become a distinguished diplomat and served as president of the Inter-American Development Bank. The family immigrated to the United States when Bernie was five years old, eventually settling in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Growing up in South Florida, Moreno became fascinated by cars from an early age. As a teenager, he reportedly wrote a letter to the president of General Motors with suggestions for improving the company — a bold move that earned him an actual response and, eventually, an internship. That early episode captures something essential about his character: a self-starting ambition that has never entirely gone away.
Moreno graduated from Pine Crest High School in Fort Lauderdale in 1985, then headed north to Michigan for college.
Education
Moreno earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Michigan in 1989, with a focus in marketing. Michigan’s business program gave him a foundation in commercial thinking that would shape everything from his dealership strategy to his later technology ventures. He has spoken publicly about how his education helped him bridge the worlds of sales, operations, and entrepreneurship as he built his businesses in Ohio.
Building a Dealership Empire: Bernie Moreno Companies
After graduating from Michigan, Moreno entered the automotive industry through General Motors, where he worked in a customer assistance center and learned the operational structure of the business from the inside. He moved to Ohio in 2005 and founded Bernie Moreno Companies, a group of luxury car dealerships headquartered in the Cleveland area. The company grew into one of the largest automotive retail groups in the region, representing high-end brands including Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Aston Martin. His Mercedes-Benz dealership earned the brand’s prestigious “Best of the Best” award.
For more than a decade, Moreno was primarily known in Ohio as a successful car dealer and a prominent figure in the Greater Cleveland business community. He sat on the MetroHealth System board of trustees beginning in 2019 and was appointed to the InnovateOhio Executive Board by Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted — roles that gave him early exposure to the intersection of government and business.
Pivot to Blockchain: Founding Ownum
In 2019, Moreno began selling portions of his dealership portfolio and redirected his focus toward technology. He founded Ownum, a blockchain-based technology software incubator designed to help government agencies improve operational efficiency and build new revenue streams. The venture was an early sign of Moreno’s interest in digital infrastructure and decentralized technology — interests that would later make him a favored candidate of the crypto industry.
Ownum attracted attention and investment, including support from government-affiliated entities in Ohio. When Moreno divested his shares in the company in April 2023 to avoid potential conflicts of interest ahead of his Senate run, the shares were valued at a minimum of $5 million. The blockchain chapter of his career both broadened his business profile and positioned him as a tech-forward voice within the Republican Party.
Political Career and the 2024 Senate Race
Moreno briefly explored a Senate run in 2022 to replace retiring Senator Rob Portman, but withdrew before the primary deadline. He returned with greater preparation in 2024, entering the race to unseat three-term Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown — widely regarded as one of the most vulnerable Democrats in the country given Ohio’s rightward shift.
The key turning point was Donald Trump’s endorsement. Moreno had once referred to Trump privately as a “lunatic” in communications that surfaced during the campaign, but he ran in 2024 as a committed Trump ally, and the former president’s backing proved decisive in the Republican primary. He won the primary and went on to defeat Sherrod Brown in the November 5, 2024 general election — a result NBC News, the Associated Press, and NPR all projected as a major Republican victory and a significant blow to Democratic Senate hopes.
The crypto industry also played an outsized role in his campaign. The industry’s super PAC, Fairshake, spent more than $40 million supporting Moreno’s bid, drawn to his background in blockchain and his public advocacy for the sector. His win was widely seen as a victory for pro-crypto forces in Washington.
Moreno was sworn in as Ohio’s senior United States Senator on January 3, 2025. He serves on the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, including subcommittees covering surface transportation, science and manufacturing, and Coast Guard and maritime affairs.
Controversies
Moreno’s career has not been without controversy. During his 2024 campaign, reports surfaced of a profile on an adult website linked to his email address — an episode his campaign attributed to a former intern acting as a prank. His car dealership business also faced multiple lawsuits alleging gender, age, and race discrimination, all of which were settled out of court. He drew criticism during the campaign for making statements about abortion ballot measure Issue 1 that legal experts described as inaccurate. His opponents also pointed to the Fairshake super PAC spending as evidence of crypto industry influence over his candidacy, a charge Moreno largely embraced rather than deflected.
Personal Life
Moreno is married to Bridget Brickley Moreno, and the couple live in Westlake, Ohio. They have four adult children. His daughter Emily was previously married to Congressman Max Miller, though Miller initiated divorce proceedings in August 2024. Moreno has spoken frequently about his children when discussing issues like education and economic opportunity, often framing his political work as being motivated by the kind of future he wants to leave for the next generation.
Net Worth and Financial Standing
Moreno’s exact net worth is difficult to pin down precisely, as financial disclosure rules allow ranges rather than specific figures. Estimates based on his Senate financial disclosures and media reporting generally place his net worth between $50 million and $100 million, with some sources citing figures as high as $154 million. His wealth is tied primarily to his dealership empire, investments, the Ownum blockchain venture, and other business holdings. The variability in estimates reflects the nature of business valuations and the broad disclosure ranges required by Senate rules. What is clear is that he ranks among the wealthier members of the current U.S. Senate.
Legacy and Impact
Bernie Moreno occupies an unusual position in American political life. As the first Ohio senator of Hispanic heritage and one of the first two U.S. senators of Colombian descent, his presence in the Senate carries symbolic weight for Latino communities — even as his politics diverge sharply from those of many Latino political figures. His story — immigrant family, self-built business career, tech entrepreneur, senator — maps onto the American Dream narrative in a way that he has leveraged deliberately throughout his political rise.
Whether his Senate tenure translates that narrative into durable policy impact remains to be seen. His early committee assignments suggest a focus on transportation, manufacturing, and technology — areas where his business background gives him genuine credibility. At 59, with a Senate term running through 2031, he has time to define what his particular brand of business-minded Republicanism means in practice.
Final Thoughts
Bernie Moreno’s path from Bogotá to the U.S. Senate is not a straight line — it bends through Fort Lauderdale, Ann Arbor, Cleveland, and the blockchain economy before arriving in Washington. At each stage, he has demonstrated an ability to read a changing landscape and reposition himself within it, whether that meant shifting from dealerships to digital ventures or from business board member to Senate candidate.
What remains consistent is a restless ambition and a belief that the tools of business — efficiency, disruption, capital — belong in public life. Whether that philosophy serves Ohio well is a question his constituents will answer. For now, he is one of the more distinctive figures in a Senate that rarely lacks for interesting characters.
People Also Ask
Who is Bernie Moreno?
Bernie Moreno is a Colombian-born American politician and businessman serving as Ohio’s senior U.S. Senator since January 2025. He is a Republican who defeated three-term Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown in the November 2024 general election, backed by former President Donald Trump.
What did Bernie Moreno do before politics?
He built one of the largest luxury car dealership groups in the Greater Cleveland area under Bernie Moreno Companies, representing brands like Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and Aston Martin. He later sold portions of that business and founded Ownum, a blockchain technology venture aimed at government efficiency.
What is Bernie Moreno’s net worth?
Estimates based on Senate financial disclosures and media reporting place his net worth between $50 million and $100 million, with some sources citing higher figures. His wealth is primarily tied to his automotive dealership business, investments, and his blockchain company Ownum.
Is Bernie Moreno an immigrant?
Yes. He was born in Bogotá, Colombia, and immigrated to the United States with his family at age five. He grew up in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, became a U.S. citizen, and has spoken frequently about his family’s immigration journey during his political career.
What committees does Bernie Moreno serve on?
He serves on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, with assignments to subcommittees covering surface transportation, science and manufacturing, and Coast Guard and maritime affairs.
