Javier Milei is an Argentine libertarian economist, author, radio host, and public speaker aligned with the Austrian School of economic thought. He became known for his regular television appearances, where he was critical of the governments of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, Mauricio Macri, and Alberto Fernández.
Milei is also running for a seat in the Chamber of Deputies of Buenos Aires for the Avanza Libertad coalition in the 2021 legislative elections.
Professional career
Milei holds a degree in Economics from the private University of Belgrano and earned two Master’s degrees from the Institute for Economic and Social Development (IDES) and the private Torcuato di Tella University. He served as chief economist at Máxima AFJP (a private pension fund), chief economist at Estudio Broda (a financial consultancy), and government consultant at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes. He was also a senior economist at HSBC.
He was an economic advisor to Antonio Domingo Bussi, who, despite being indicted for crimes against humanity during the dictatorship, was elected deputy in 1999.
Since 2012, he has led the Economic Studies Division at Fundación Acordar, a national think tank. He is also a member of the B20, the Economic Policy Group of the International Chamber of Commerce (advisory body to the G20), and the World Economic Forum. A specialist in economic growth, he has taught various economics courses at universities in Argentina and abroad. He is the author of nine books. Currently, he works for Argentine tycoon Eduardo Eurnekián.
For over 21 years, he has taught Macroeconomics, Growth Economics, Microeconomics, and Mathematics for Economists. Since 2016, he has attempted to merge Austrian economics with monetarist concepts, stating that Ben Bernanke was the greatest central banker of all time—a view rejected by Austrian economists. In addition to his academic work, Milei hosts his own radio show titled Demoliendo mitos (“Demolishing Myths”), featuring frequent contributions from economist and businessman Gustavo Lazzari, lawyer Pablo Torres Barthe, and libertarian political scientist María Zaldívar.
Political career
Founder of the party La Libertad Avanza (“Liberty Advances”), Javier Milei describes himself as an anarcho-capitalist. He campaigns for the total ban on abortion, liberalization of gun ownership, abolition of the Central Bank, repeal of capital controls, and is against the introduction of new taxes. He also questions the existence of climate change.
He surprised observers in the September 2021 primaries, coming in third in Buenos Aires Province with 13.66% of the vote. Campaigning under the slogan “I didn’t come here to guide sheep but to awaken lions,” he denounced the “political caste,” which he described as “useless politicians, parasites who have never worked.”
He is inspired by Jair Bolsonaro and Donald Trump and expresses affinity with Spain’s Vox party. He also idolizes Carlos Menem, Argentina’s president from 1989 to 1999, and his Economy Minister Domingo Cavallo.
Personal life
Milei has been nicknamed “El Peluca” (“The Wig”) due to his eccentric hairstyle. He has repeatedly said he doesn’t comb his hair, and his look has drawn significant media attention. Regarding his romantic life, he suggested in an interview with La Nación that he embraces free love. On a local television program, he claimed to have participated in several threesomes and to be a Tantra instructor, saying he is “capable of going three months without ejaculating.” However, he identifies as a Catholic who rejects the Magisterium of the Church. On abortion, he has publicly expressed a strong pro-life stance.
Criticism
A major point of criticism is that Milei frequently uses mathematical formulas and graphs in his writings to illustrate his arguments, which clearly contradicts the Austrian School’s skepticism toward mathematics in economics, viewing it as a social science. This is a key reason why Milei is not fully embraced as an “Austrian economist.” Although his theoretical framework is strongly Austrian, his overall methodology is not.
He is known for his sometimes aggressive debating style and frequent use of vulgar language, which has led to several controversies. On August 25, 2021, he insulted the Mayor of Buenos Aires, liberal politician Horacio Rodríguez Larreta. He justified his comments by saying Rodríguez Larreta was “using public funds to persecute opponents.”