Stephen J. Dubner
A writer and broadcaster who turned the hidden side of everything, from sumo wrestling to real estate, into a global conversation about incentives.
Born 1963 (age 63)·American author, journalist, and podcast host·Birthday: August 26·Baby Boomers
Biography
Stephen J. Dubner began his career in a New York City advertising agency and as an editor at *The New York Times Magazine*, but his trajectory changed with a profile. In writing about the unorthodox economist Steven Levitt, Dubner found a perfect intellectual partner. Their collaboration, *Freakonomics*, became a publishing phenomenon, applying economic thinking to the riddles of everyday life—why drug dealers live with their moms, what makes a perfect parent. Dubner's gift is translation: he takes Levitt's data-driven curiosity and frames it into irresistible narratives. He has since built a multimedia empire around this brand, hosting the long-running *Freakonomics Radio* podcast, which continues to dissect human behavior with a cool, analytical eye, proving that a question is often more powerful than an answer.
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.
Stephen was born in 1963, 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 Stephen Was Born
The biggest hits of 1963
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
Best Picture
Tom Jones
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Stephen's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1963Born
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
1968Started school
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1976Became a teenager
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Could drive
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
1981Could vote
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Turned 21
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1993Turned 30
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 40
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 50
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 60
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 63 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-authored the bestselling *Freakonomics* book series with economist Steven D. Levitt, selling millions of copies worldwide.
- Created and hosts the popular *Freakonomics Radio* podcast, which consistently ranks among the top podcasts globally.
- His work with Levitt was awarded the inaugural "Best Audio Reporting" award from the American Economic Association.
Did You Know?
He was a child musician, playing the fiddle in a band that once opened for acts like Ricky Skaggs.
His first book, *Turbulent Souls*, was a memoir about his family's conversion from Judaism to Catholicism and back.
He originally interviewed Steven Levitt for a *New York Times Magazine* profile, which led to their book partnership.
““The key to learning is feedback. It is nearly impossible to learn anything without it.””
