Thomas Piketty

Thomas Piketty is a French economist renowned for his research on wealth and income inequality. He gained international acclaim with his bestselling book "Capital in the Twenty-First Century," published in 2013, which analyzes wealth concentration trends over 250 years. The work argues that capital returns consistently outpace economic growth in developed nations, leading to escalating inequality—a theme central to his broader scholarship. His research has positioned him as a leading voice in economic policy debates worldwide.

Piketty specializes in historical and statistical approaches to economic inequality, utilizing tax records to study wealth accumulation patterns among elite groups previously underrepresented in economic research. After earning his PhD at age 22, he taught at MIT before returning to France to join the National Centre for Scientific Research. He later co-founded the Paris School of Economics, where he currently serves as professor alongside his directorship at École des hautes études en sciences sociales. His academic contributions earned him the 2002 prize for best young economist in France and the 2013 Yrjö Jahnsson Award for European economists under 45.

Beyond academia, Piketty has engaged in public policy through advisory roles, including during Ségolène Royal's 2007 presidential campaign. He maintains an active presence in French media as a columnist for Libération and contributor to Le Monde. His work continues to influence global discussions on economic justice, with proposals such as a progressive global wealth tax addressing systemic inequality. Piketty currently holds positions at both the Paris School of Economics and the London School of Economics' International Inequalities Institute.