Howard Krein

Howard Krein is an American otolaryngologist and facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon practicing at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A native of New Jersey, he earned his MD and PhD from Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, holds dual board certifications in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery and facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, and has contributed to over 79 peer-reviewed publications in his field. Krein married Ashley Biden, daughter of Joe Biden, in an interfaith ceremony in 2012, linking him to the Biden family until their divorce filing in August 2025 after 13 years of marriage without children. Beyond clinical practice, Krein serves as Chief Medical Officer at StartUp Health, a venture platform investing in health technology startups, where his informal advisory role to the Biden campaign and transition team on COVID-19 matters—while his firm pursued government-related opportunities—raised documented concerns about potential conflicts of interest from ethics experts and media outlets across the political spectrum.

Howard Krein was born in 1966 and raised in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, in a Jewish family whose parents were active in the local Jewish community. His father, Stanley Krein, served as director of marketing at Aetna, an insurance company, while his mother, Brenda "Bunny" Krein, worked as a physician assistant in cardiology at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, New Jersey. He has a brother, Steven Krein, and a sister, Bari Krein.

Ashley Biden and Howard Krein married on June 2, 2012, in a private interfaith ceremony in Wilmington, Delaware, co-officiated by a Catholic priest and a rabbi to reflect their respective Jewish and Catholic backgrounds. The event, held at St. Joseph on the Brandywine Roman Catholic Church in Greenville, Delaware, included approximately 200 close family members and friends, with Ashley Biden wearing a Vera Wang gown. Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden issued a statement expressing their pleasure at the marriage, noting it occurred that evening in Wilmington. The wedding featured a bridal party of 27 members, emphasizing its intimate yet familial scale.