Alan Greenspan, Ex-Fed Chair, Dies at 100

Was Alan Greenspan a visionary economic leader or the architect of financial ruin?
Alan Greenspan, Ex-Fed Chair, Dies at 100
Above: Former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Alan Greenspan in Washington, D.C. on June 27, 2016. Image credit: Duffy-Marie Arnoult/WireImage

The Spin


Left narrative

Greenspan's 18-year tenure at the Federal Reserve stands as one of the most consequential stretches of economic leadership in American history. He guided the country through booms and crises alike while building the Fed's credibility into one of its most durable assets. From Washington Heights to the heights of Washington, his career proved that rigorous thinking and public service can genuinely shape a nation.

Right narrative

Greenspan knew exactly what a central bank printing press does to savers — he wrote a devastating takedown of it in 1966 — then spent two decades running that same press anyway. Greenspan taught Wall Street that reckless bets would always get bailed out, and his 1% rates pumped up the housing bubble that wrecked millions of families. Calling that legacy a triumph ignores the impacts of everyone who paid for it.



Go Deeper

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© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.

All rights reserved.

Version 7.6.4