MOHAMED EL-ERIAN
Chief Economic Adviser
Allianz Group
Munich, Germany
Born in New York
Age: 60
Lives in Laguna Beach
WHY: Top economic adviser to Allianz, one of world’s largest financial services group, parent of PIMCO, where he served as chief executive and co-chief investment officer alongside legendary bond investor Bill Gross. Chair of Investment Advisory Committee at Microsoft for past 12 years.
HOW: Doctorate in economics from Oxford. Various roles during 15-year stint at IMF. Ran Harvard endowment fund. Popularized catchy phrases like “The New Normal” to describe financial world after 2008 crisis. Author of several best-selling books, including “When Markets Collide,” which won Financial Times/Goldman Sachs 2008 Business Book of the Year and was named one of the best business books of all time by the Independent (UK).
RECENT: Has 2.2 million followers of his blog on LinkedIn, where he is ranked the third top influencer, following only Bill Gates and Richard Branson.
QUOTABLE: LinkedIn’s page of influencers said about El-Erian: “Only one of the sharpest minds in finance could make a post on the Greek debt crisis go viral.”
PERSONAL: Die-hard fan of New York Jets, Mets. Big fan of Orange County School of the Arts which his daughter attended.
