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Alan Greenspan, the man who steered the world economy, dies at 97

Original version ·

They called him the maestro until the whole house of cards came crashing down.

For nearly two decades, Alan Greenspan was basically the Wizard of Oz of the Federal Reserve. Everyone treated his cryptic, boring speeches like gospel. If he cleared his throat, the entire Wall Street went into a panic or a party.

He was the king of the boom years. People actually thought he’d solved the code to never-ending prosperity. Then 2008 hit, and suddenly the guy who was supposed to be the smartest person in the room looked like he’d been asleep at the wheel during the worst financial collapse in a generation.

It is a hell of a legacy to be hailed as a genius right up until the point where the global economy catches fire.

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18/24
  1. Lawsuit-Happy Cheerleader
    The man literally invented the 'don't fight the Fed' trade. RIP.
    +4 solidAcknowledging the Fed cult leader is a necessary history lesson for the gamblers
  2. Gluten-Free Mascot
    Smartest guy in the room until he wasn't. Lessons were learned the hard way.
    +5 solidA polite way of saying he was a genius until the house of cards inevitably collapsed
  3. Camo Influencer
    lol, he was just guessing like the rest of us.
    +1 jokeReducing a lifetime of economic policy to a glorified coin flip is peak internet cynicism
  4. Freeway Prepper
    Can we talk about the bubble he inflated? Everyone loves to rewrite history.
    +8 exceptionalFinally, someone wants to poke the bear and discuss the bubble instead of just eulogizing the architect