Thomas Piketty
French economist, born 1971; professor at EHESS and the Paris School of Economics; wrote Capital in the 21st Century.
At a glance
Main ideas
r > g, A global tax on wealth, Tax records as data
See all 3Books to start with
Capital in the Twenty-First Century, Capital and Ideology, A Brief History of Equality
See all 3Connections
Branko Milanović and Capital in the Twenty-First Century
See all 2
Also on this page: Key facts · Links · Sources · Related pages
- Piketty is a French economist who works on income and wealth inequality, with a historical and statistical approach built on tax records.
- He is a professor at EHESS, associate chair at the Paris School of Economics and Centennial Professor at the London School of Economics' International Inequalities Institute.
- His 2013 book Capital in the Twenty-First Century argues that when the return on capital outpaces economic growth, wealth concentrates; he proposes a progressive global tax on wealth.
Why it matters
- Capital in the Twenty-First Century became one of the most widely read economics books of its decade and put long-run wealth concentration at the centre of debates about inequality.
Key facts
- Born
- 7 May 1971, Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine, France1
- Education
- École Normale Supérieure (mathematics and economics); PhD at 22, on wealth redistribution, written at the LSE and EHESS under Roger Guesnerie1
- Early career
- Assistant professor of economics at MIT from 1993 to 1995; researcher at the CNRS from 1995; professor (directeur d'études) at EHESS from 20001
- Paris School of Economics
- Its first head in 2006, which he helped organise; associate chair1
- London School of Economics
- Centennial Professor of Economics, International Inequalities Institute1
- Columns
- Columnist for Libération; op-eds in Le Monde1
- Legion of Honour
- Refused it in January 2015, saying it is not the government's role to decide who is honourable1
Main ideas
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r > g2
When the return on capital exceeds the rate of economic growth over the long run, wealth concentrates.
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A global tax on wealth2
He proposes a progressive global tax on wealth to keep wealth from ending up with a tiny minority.
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Tax records as data1
His use of income-tax records made the very top of the distribution measurable over a century or more.
Books to start with
The line under a date fills as it gets older: empty when new, full at 2 years.
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Capital in the Twenty-First Century2
Wealth and income inequality in Europe and the United States since the 18th century.
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Capital and Ideology1
Income inequality across societies through history.
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A Brief History of Equality1
A short book on redistribution written for citizens rather than economists.
Connections
Links
Sources
Last checked against its sources today
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