Photo: Bundesministerium für Europa, Integration und Äußeres / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Jeffrey Sachs fascinates me because he refuses to stay in the academic lane. Most economists of his caliber settle into journals and seminars; Sachs went to the field, advising governments, running the Earth Institute, and pushing the UN's sustainable development agenda. I admire the ambition even when I question the prescriptions, since shock therapy left scars and his critics have a point that grand plans can flatten local realities. But I would rather have an economist who tests his ideas against the world and absorbs the backlash than one who never risks being wrong. The Blue Planet Prize feels like recognition of exactly that restlessness.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Jeffrey Sachs
- Name (Japanese)
- ジェフリー・サックス
- Reading
- じぇふりー・さっくす
- Born
- November 5, 1954 (age 71)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Scorpio / Horse
- Origin
- Detroit, Michigan, United States
- Occupation
- economist / university teacher / writer
2. Background
- High school
- Oak Park High School
- University
- Harvard University
Awards & achievements
- Padma Bhushan
- Harvard Centennial Medal
- 2015 Blue Planet Prize
- 2009 Global Economy Prize
- 1986 Fellow of the Econometric Society
- Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- 2019 honorary doctor of the University of Łódź
- 2018 honorary doctor of the University of Antwerp
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Jeffrey Sachs born?
Born November 5, 1954 (age 71).
Where is Jeffrey Sachs from?
Jeffrey Sachs is from Detroit, Michigan, United States.
What does Jeffrey Sachs do?
Jeffrey Sachs works as economist, university teacher, writer.
Economist — see all → · University teacher — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-11
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.