Meet Howard Krein, President Joe Biden’s son-in-law: the husband to first daughter Ashley Biden stood by her side during scandals – but once sparked controversy over a health policy conflict of interest

Jul 23, 2024

Howard Krein is married to US President Joe Biden’s daughter, Ashley Biden. Photos: @WillJohnston, @KreinMD/X

Ashley Biden is no stranger to drama, from her previous substance abuse struggles to alleged excerpts from her diary being posted online, where she reportedly details marriage struggles and an affair

Her husband Howard Krein is a long-time adviser to President Joe Biden, who just dropped out of the 2024 US presidential race – but once landed in hot water over conflicts of interest

First daughter Ashley Biden, daughter to current US President Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden, is no stranger to making headlines – despite her aversion to the spotlight. Per the New York Post, during her university days, she was known for her wild partying and struggles with substance abuse. She made headlines again in December after it was revealed she owed just over US$5,000 in income taxes dating back to 2015.

An old photo of Ashley Biden and Howard Krein. Photo: Howard Krein/Facebook

With her dad’s surprise exit from the 2024 presidential race and subsequent endorsement of new Democrat presidential nominee, Vice-President Kamala Harris, we can only expect further scrutiny of the Biden family.

During her time in the spotlight, Ashley has had her husband, Howard Krein, standing by her side. The couple have been married since 2012 and, though they prefer to maintain a low profile, Krein has firmly entrenched himself with his in-laws.

Here is everything you need to know about Joe Biden’s son-in-law.

How did Ashley Biden and Howard Krein meet?

Ashley Biden and her husband, Howard Krein, on their wedding day in 2012. Photo: @WillJohnston/Twitter

According to The Times of Israel, Krein, 58, was introduced to Ashley, 43, by her late half-brother, Beau Biden, in 2010. The publication reported that Krein proposed at sunset on a cliff in Big Sur, California, a year after they first met. The couple got married in June 2012 at the Delaware church where Ashley was baptised as a child. They exchanged vows in an interfaith wedding ceremony that honoured the bride’s Catholicism as well as the groom’s Jewish faith.

What does Howard Krein do for work?

Howard Krein, son-in-law of current US President Joe Biden, takes the stage at the StartUp Health Festival in 2020. Photo: @KreinMD/X

Krein is a otolaryngologist and plastic surgeon and served on the Biden Cancer Initiative Board of Directors from 2017 to 2019. His brother, Steven Krein, reportedly founded StartUp Health in 2011 and Howard serves as the chief medical officer of the organisation. Krein is currently an associate professor of otolaryngology at the Center for Digital Health and Data Science at Thomas Jefferson University.

Krein studied at Rutgers University before receiving his medical degree from Thomas Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. He also got a PhD in cell and developmental biology from the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.