Alan Greenspan, former federal reserve chairman, dies at 100

Alan Greenspan, the former chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve who helped shape American monetary policy for nearly two decades, has died at the age of 100.

His death was confirmed on Monday, June 22, by his wife, NBC News journalist Andrea Mitchell, who said he passed away at their home due to complications from Parkinson’s disease.

“He was a giant of a man who helped shape the U.S. economy for decades under presidents of both parties,” Mitchell said in a statement.

She added that he remained “always honest in acknowledging his mistakes” and remembered him as both a public figure and a devoted partner.

Greenspan served as chair of the Federal Reserve from 1987 to 2006, a tenure spanning the administrations of four U.S. presidents.

He became one of the most influential economic policymakers of his time, guiding the U.S. economy through periods of crisis, including the 1987 stock market crash and the dot-com boom of the early 2000s.

Born in New York City in 1926, Greenspan developed an early interest in music before shifting toward economics.

He studied at New York University’s Stern School of Business and later completed a Ph.D. in economics in 1977. He also founded the economic consulting firm Townsend-Greenspan & Co., which he ran for three decades.

In 1974, he was appointed chair of the Council of Economic Advisers under President Gerald Ford, marking his entry into high-level government economic policy.

He later rose to national prominence when President Ronald Reagan appointed him Federal Reserve chairman in 1987.

Greenspan’s long tenure earned him both praise and criticism. While credited with helping maintain economic stability during multiple administrations, he later faced scrutiny over policies that some analysts linked to the 2008 financial crisis.

In later years, he acknowledged flaws in his economic outlook, telling lawmakers and media outlets that some of his assumptions about financial markets had been incorrect.

He officially stepped down from the Federal Reserve in 2006 and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush in 2005. He also received an honorary knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II in 2002.

Beyond economics, Greenspan was known for his personal interests in music, particularly jazz, and for his long marriage to Mitchell, whom he married in 1997 after more than a decade together.

“He will be remembered for his brilliance and his kindness,” Mitchell said. “Being his life partner was the joy of my life.”

Greenspan is survived by his wife.