Alan Greenspan, Former US Federal Reserve Chair, Dies at 100

Alan Greenspan, one of the most influential chairs of the US Federal Reserve, died on 22 June 2026 at the age of 100. He led the US central bank for more than 18 years — the second-longest tenure in Fed history — across the presidencies of Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Clinton and George W. Bush.

Born in New York in 1926 and raised by a single mother, Greenspan first pursued a career in jazz music before turning to economics. He earned BA and MA degrees from New York University and built a long career as an economic consultant known for his attention to obscure data. He was associated with the intellectual circle of objectivist philosopher Ayn Rand, whose ideas of limited government influenced his scepticism of regulation.

Greenspan was appointed Fed chair by President Ronald Reagan in 1987. He firmly established the view that maintaining low and stable inflation should be a central bank's top priority and moved the Fed towards a formal inflation target. During his tenure, US consumer price inflation averaged about 3%. However, his legacy is mixed — his light-touch approach to financial regulation is often linked to the conditions that led to the 2008 global financial crisis.

For aspirants, Greenspan is an important figure in economy and General Awareness. Remember that he chaired the US Federal Reserve (the US central bank), championed inflation control, and that his deregulatory stance is debated in the context of the 2008 financial crisis.