Arthur Laffer

Arthur B. Laffer is the founder and chairman of Laffer Associates, an economic research and consulting firm, and also heads Laffer Investments, an institutional investment management firm. Recognized as "The Father of Supply-Side Economics," Dr. Laffer's significant contributions to economic theory include the development of the Laffer Curve, which illustrates the relationship between tax rates and tax revenue. He was pivotal in stimulating a global tax-cutting movement during the 1980s, influencing both U.S. and international fiscal policies.

Dr. Laffer served as a member of President Ronald Reagan’s Economic Policy Advisory Board for both terms of his presidency and advised Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher on fiscal policy in the UK during the 1980s. He has held prestigious positions in academia as the Charles B. Thornton Professor of Business Economics at the University of Southern California and a professor at Pepperdine University. His involvement in academia and policy-making has left a considerable mark on both fields.

He graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor's degree in economics in 1963 and received an MBA and a Ph.D. in economics from Stanford University. Dr. Laffer's scholarly contributions have been widely recognized, earning him numerous accolades including the Adam Smith Award, the Daniel Webster Award for Public Speaking, and the Hayek Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016. His authorship includes influential works such as "The End of Prosperity: How Higher Taxes Will Doom the Economy—If We Let it Happen" and "Return to Prosperity: How America Can Regain Its Economic Superpower Status." In March 1999, Time Magazine listed him as one of “the Century’s Greatest Minds” for his groundbreaking work on the Laffer Curve.