Ady Barkan was an American lawyer and liberal activist. He was a co-founder of the Be a Hero PAC and was an organizer for the Center for Popular Democracy, where he led the Fed Up campaign.
Barkan confronted Senator Jeff Flake on a plane in 2017, asking him to “be a hero” and vote no on a tax bill that threatened cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.
Barkan, who was diagnosed with the terminal neurodegenerative disease ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) in 2016 .
In 2020, he was included on Time’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Ady Barkan Biography
Ohad Barkan, known as Ady, was born in Boston, Massachusetts[6] on December 18, 1983, to immigrant parents from Romania and Israel.
His mother, Diana Kormos Buchwald, is a professor of the history of science at the California Institute of Technology and his father, Elazar Barkan, a professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University.
Barkan grew up in first in Cambridge, Massachusetts, then in Claremont and Pasadena, California, in what he described as a “secular Jewish household”. He held dual U.S. and Israeli citizenship.
Barkan attended high school in Claremont, where he took an early interest in progressive activism like the fight against anti-gay rights legislation.
Barkan next attended Columbia College, taking courses taught by economists Joseph Stiglitz and Jeffrey Sachs, and graduating cum laude in 2006.
He went on to Yale Law School, where he earned his Juris Doctor in 2010.
Ady Barkan was a remarkable activist who fought for social justice and universal health care in the United States.
He was diagnosed with ALS, a terminal disease that gradually paralyzed him, but he did not let that stop him from making his voice heard. Here are some highlights of his career:
He graduated from Columbia College in 2006 and Yale Law School in 2010, where he studied economics and law.
He worked as a lawyer and organizer for the Center for Popular Democracy, where he led campaigns for paid sick leave, minimum wage, and monetary policy reform.
He co-founded the Be a Hero PAC, a political action committee that supported progressive candidates and causes, especially Medicare for All.
He confronted Senator Jeff Flake on a plane in 2017, asking him to vote against the tax bill that threatened to cut health care funding.
The video of the encounter went viral and sparked a national movement.
He testified before Congress in 2019, using a computerized voice, to advocate for the Medicare for All Act. He also endorsed Bernie Sanders for president in 2020.
He was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2020. He died on November 1, 2023, at the age of 39.
Ady Barkan Wife
Ady Barkan’s wife is Rachael King, a professor of English and a writer.
They met as undergraduates at Columbia University and were married for 18 years.
Ady Barkan Children
Ady Barkan and Rachael King had two children, a son and a daughter.
Their son, Carl, was born in 2016, four months before Ady’s ALS diagnosis, while their daughter, Willow, was born in 2019.
Ady Barkan Parents
Ady Barkan’s parents are Diana Kormos Buchwald and Elazar Barkan, both professors and scholars.
His mother is a professor of the history of science at the California Institute of Technology and his father is a professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University.
They immigrated to the United States from Romania and Israel, respectively. They raised Ady in a secular Jewish household in Massachusetts and California.
Ady Barkan Siblings
Ady Barkan had one sibling, a sister named Naomi Barkan. She is a journalist and writer who has worked for The New York Times, The Atlantic, and The New Yorker.
Ady Barkan Family
Ady Barkan’s family consists of the following members:
Wife, Rachael King, a professor of English and a writer.
Son, Carl, who was born in 2016, four months before Ady’s ALS diagnosis.
Daughter, Willow, who was born in 2019.
Mother, Diana Kormos Buchwald, a professor of the history of science at the California Institute of Technology.
Father, Elazar Barkan, a professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University.
Sister, Naomi Barkan, a journalist and writer who has worked for The New York Times, The Atlantic, and The New Yorker.
Ady Barkan Net worth
Ady Barkan’s net worth was estimated to be around $5 million at the time of his death.
He earned his wealth from his career as a lawyer and organizer for the Center for Popular Democracy, as well as from his book sales and donations from his supporters.
He also sued his health insurance company, Health Net, for denying him coverage for a ventilator.
However, he used most of his money to fund his activism and to help other people in need of health care.
He once said, “I don’t need more money. I need more democracy.
Ady Barkan Death Cause
Ady Barkan’s cause of death was complications of ALS.
ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
It causes muscle weakness, loss of movement, difficulty breathing, and eventually death.
There is no cure for ALS and the average life expectancy after diagnosis is about three to five years.
Ady Barkan lived with ALS for seven years and continued to advocate for his causes until his last breath.
He died on November 1, 2023, at the age of 39. He is survived by his wife, Rachael King, and their two children, Carl and Willow5
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