Nouriel Roubini
An economist who earned the nickname 'Dr. Doom' for his unnervingly accurate prediction of the 2008 global financial crisis.
Born 1958 (age 68)·Iranian-American economist·Birthday: March 29·Baby Boomers
Biography
Born in Istanbul to Iranian parents, Nouriel Roubini's early life was shaped by political upheaval, moving from Iran to Israel, Italy, and finally the United States. This global perspective became the bedrock of his economic thinking. After earning a doctorate from Harvard, he carved a niche as a sharp, often contrarian analyst of international markets, with a particular focus on emerging economies. His academic career at NYU's Stern School was punctuated by consulting roles in Washington, where his warnings about systemic financial risks were frequently dismissed as overly pessimistic. That changed in the mid-2000s when his detailed forecast of a housing bubble collapse and a resulting catastrophic credit crunch proved devastatingly precise. The 2008 crisis made him a sought-after oracle, transforming him from an academic into a public intellectual who continues to dissect global economic vulnerabilities with unflinching clarity.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Nouriel was born in 1958, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Nouriel Was Born
The biggest hits of 1958
#1 Movie
South Pacific
Best Picture
Gigi
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Nouriel's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1958Born
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1963Started school
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1971Became a teenager
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Could drive
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1976Could vote
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Turned 21
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1988Turned 30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 40
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 50
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 60
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 68 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Correctly forecast the 2008 financial crisis years in advance, detailing the chain of events from subprime mortgages to a global credit freeze.
- Served as a senior economist on the White House Council of Economic Advisers and at the International Monetary Fund.
- Authored the book 'Crisis Economics,' which argues that financial meltdowns are not rare black swans but predictable and recurring events.
- Founded Roubini Macro Associates, an economic consultancy that advises financial institutions and governments on global risk.
Did You Know?
He is fluent in Persian, Italian, English, and Hebrew.
He was once a competitive chess player in his youth.
He co-wrote a paper in 2004 titled 'The Coming Financial Pandemic,' which outlined the precise mechanisms of the future crisis.
“Market economies are inherently unstable; they need circuit breakers like a car needs brakes and a seat belt.”
