Alan Greenspan, 100, dies – The Man Who Shaped America’s Economy

Tue Jun 23 2026 17:11:39 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Former US Federal Reserve chair Alan Greenspan dies aged 100, his wife says, after complications of Parkinson’s disease.

Alan Greenspan, the long‑time Fed chairman who guided the US economy through two decades of growth, died at 100. His wife, Andrea Mitchell, confirmed his death, citing Parkinson’s complications. Greenspan’s tenure is marked by both praise for economic stability and criticism for low‑interest‑rate policies that contributed to the 2008 crisis. He remains a polarising figure whose legacy shaped modern American fiscal policy.

Alan Greenspan, 100, dies – The Man Who Shaped America’s Economy

Former U.S. Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan died today at the age of 100, his wife Andrea Mitchell confirmed. The 100‑year‑old economist, who once steered the nation through 20 years of growth, passed away after complications of Parkinson’s disease.

A Career of Influence

From 1987 to 2006, Greenspan guided policy through the longest sustained period of U.S. economic expansion. His tenure is often called the “golden era” of growth, but critics argue that his insistence on low interest rates helped create the dot‑com bubble and the 2008 financial crisis.

Controversies and Criticisms

Greenspan’s reputation was tarnished by his free‑market philosophy and late‑stage acknowledgment that the financial industry had failed to self‑regulate. He testified before Congress in 2009, admitting that the U.S. economy would have benefitted from more stringent oversight.

Legacy

He is remembered as a stabilising force, though his legacy is complex. While the U.S. GDP contracted only once during his chairmanship, his low‑interest‑rate strategy is often blamed for the sub‑prime crisis. Nonetheless, Greenspan’s influence on modern monetary policy remains undeniable.