David Perdue
A corporate executive turned senator who later took on one of America's most critical diplomatic posts as Ambassador to China.
Born 1949 (age 77)·American politician and diplomat·Birthday: December 10·Baby Boomers
Biography
David Perdue's path to diplomacy was carved in the boardrooms of corporate America. With an MBA and a decades-long career at companies like Haggar Clothing and Dollar General, he built a reputation as a turnaround specialist focused on operational efficiency. In 2014, he leveraged this business-first background to win a U.S. Senate seat from Georgia, positioning himself as a political outsider. His single term was marked by a focus on fiscal policy and trade, aligning closely with the Trump administration. After a narrow reelection loss and an unsuccessful run for governor, Perdue returned to the private sector. In a surprising move, he was nominated in 2025 to serve as U.S. Ambassador to China, a role where his experience in complex negotiations and global supply chains is tested on the world's most delicate diplomatic stage.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
David was born in 1949, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When David Was Born
The biggest hits of 1949
#1 Movie
Samson and Delilah
Best Picture
All the King's Men
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
David's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1949Born
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1954Started school
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1962Became a teenager
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1965Could drive
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1967Could vote
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1970Turned 21
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1979Turned 30
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1989Turned 40
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 50
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 60
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 70
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 77 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as a United States Senator from Georgia from 2015 to 2021, sitting on the Armed Services and Banking committees.
- Had a long corporate career, notably serving as the CEO of Dollar General from 2003 to 2007 and leading its major expansion.
- Was confirmed as the United States Ambassador to the People's Republic of China in 2025.
- Was the Republican nominee for Governor of Georgia in 2022.
Did You Know?
He is a first cousin of former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue.
Before his corporate career, he worked as a consultant for the Boston Consulting Group.
He was the only Republican freshman senator elected in the 2014 cycle who had never held prior elected office.
He and his wife own a farm in Georgia where they grow pecan trees.
“A business plan is worthless without the operational discipline to execute it.”
