Alan Greenspan, former chairman of the Fed, has died at the age of 100.

Alan Greenspan died this Monday at the age of 100, from complications related to Parkinson's disease. Born on March 6, 1926, in New York, this American economist made his mark on the history of global finance by serving as Chairman of the Federal Reserve of the United States from August 11, 1987, to January 31, 2006. During his nearly twenty years at the helm of the Fed, he consolidated the independence of the American monetary institution and acquired an unparalleled stature in the world of economics.

Twenty years at the head of the Fed

His handling of the October 1987 stock market crash, which occurred just weeks after he took office, and his management of inflation throughout his term earned him widespread acclaim. The media dubbed him the Maestro or the economist's economist, praising his expertise in monetary policy. He notably fostered the enthusiasm for technology during the 1990s, a decade marked by the rise of the dot-com bubble, which he described as an irrational exuberance of the markets.

A reputation tarnished by subprime mortgages

His reputation was tarnished, however, by the 2007 subprime mortgage crisis. He was criticized for failing to anticipate this financial catastrophe, which shook the global economy shortly after his departure from the Fed. Despite this belated controversy, Alan Greenspan remains one of the best-known and most influential chairman in the history of the U.S. Federal Reserve.