Alan Greenspan, the former Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, passed away on June 22, 2026 at the age of 100. Greenspan led the Fed for nearly 19 years from 1987 to 2006, serving under four presidents — Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush. He was widely recognized as the 'crisis helmsman' of financial markets.
During his tenure, Greenspan steered the economy through the 1987 stock market crash, the Asian financial crisis, and the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. He coined the concept of the 'Greenspan put' — the market belief that the Fed would step in to support asset prices during downturns. His market-friendly, low-intervention approach is credited with fueling the economic boom of the 1990s. However, his lenient regulatory stance and failure to address asset bubbles drew sharp criticism following the 2008 global financial crisis.
Greenspan's death marks the end of an era, leaving a complex legacy that continues to influence central banking policy worldwide.