Tell me a bio of Thomas Piketty.

Include key facts about their life, career, achievements, and impact.

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**Thomas Piketty: A Leading Economist and Author**

Thomas Piketty is a French economist, professor, and author, born on May 7, 1971, in Clichy, France. He is best known for his influential book "Capital in the Twenty-First Century" (2013), which has become a seminal work in the field of economics and a bestseller worldwide.

**Early Life and Education**

Piketty grew up in a middle-class family in Paris. His father was a civil servant, and his mother was a teacher. Piketty developed an interest in economics at an early age and was influenced by the works of Karl Marx and John Maynard Keynes. He studied economics at the École Normale Supérieure (ENS) in Paris, where he earned his undergraduate degree in 1993. He then pursued his graduate studies at the ENS, earning his Ph.D. in economics in 1997.

**Career**

Piketty began his academic career as a researcher at the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) in London. In 2000, he joined the Paris School of Economics (PSE) as a researcher and later became a professor of economics at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) in Paris. In 2015, he was appointed as a professor of economics at the London School of Economics (LSE).

**Achievements and Impact**

Piketty's work has focused on the study of income and wealth inequality, economic growth, and the distribution of capital. His research has been widely recognized for its rigor and innovative approach. Some of his notable achievements include:

1. **"Capital in the Twenty-First Century"**: This book, published in 2013, has become a global bestseller and a seminal work in the field of economics. The book argues that the concentration of wealth among the top 1% of the population is a natural and inevitable outcome of capitalism, and that it can only be addressed through progressive taxation and the redistribution of wealth.
2. **The World Top Incomes Database**: Piketty, along with his colleagues, has created a comprehensive database of top incomes in various countries, which has become a valuable resource for researchers and policymakers.
3. **The French Wealth Tax**: Piketty's research has influenced the implementation of a wealth tax in France, which was introduced in 2012.
4. **Influence on Policy Debates**: Piketty's work has had a significant impact on policy debates around the world, influencing discussions on income inequality, taxation, and economic growth.

**Awards and Honors**

Piketty has received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to economics and public policy. Some of his notable awards include:

1. **The Veblen-Commons Award** (2015): This award is given by the Association for Evolutionary Economics (AFEE) for outstanding contributions to the field of economics.
2. **The Leontief Prize** (2015): This prize is awarded by the Global Development and Environment Institute (GDAE) for outstanding contributions to the field of economics.
3. **The French Legion of Honor** (2015): Piketty was awarded the French Legion of Honor for his contributions to economics and public policy.

**Personal Life**

Piketty is married to a historian, and they have two children. He is known for his commitment to social justice and his advocacy for progressive policies to address income inequality.
Thomas Piketty is a French economist, economist-theorist and public intellectual, widely recognized as one of the leading experts in the field of economic inequality and capital theory. Born on May 7, 1971, in Ciboure, a small town in the French Basque Country, Piketty is known for his influential and thought-provoking work on the subject of economic inequality and the concentration of wealth.

**Early Life and Education**

Thomas Piketty was born to a family of artists and intellectuals. His mother was a painter, and his father was a geologist. Piketty's early interest in social sciences and economics led him to pursue a Bachelor's degree in economic science at the Paris Institute of Political Studies (Science Po), followed by a Master's degree in economics from the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) in Paris. He later earned a Ph.D. in economics from the EHESS.

**Career**

Piketty began his academic career at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States, where he taught economics from 2004 to 2008. He then returned to France to take up a position at the EHESS, where he became a professor of economics. Piketty is currently a professor of economics at the Paris School of Economics (PSE) and a research fellow at the EHESS.

**Achievements and Publications**

Piketty's most famous book, 'Capital in the Twenty-First Century' (2013), written in French as 'Le Capital au XXI Siècle', became an international bestseller, translated into over 40 languages, and won the Pulitzer Prize in 2015. The book presents a comprehensive analysis of the concentration of wealth and income inequality, proposing a new economic theory based on the concept of 'r > g', which suggests that the rate of return on capital (r) is greater than the rate of growth (g) of the economy, leading to a perpetual concentration of wealth.

Other notable works by Piketty include 'Capitalism in the 21st Century: An Intellectual History of the Neoliberal School' (2014), 'Une brève histoire de l'impôt en France' (2015), and 'A Short Treatise on the Wage of Knowledge and Experience' (2018).

**Impact and Influence**

Thomas Piketty's work has had a significant impact on the global discourse on economic inequality and capital theory. His research has influenced policymakers, economists, and intellectuals worldwide, shaping the international conversation on economic justice and the need for progressive policies to address income and wealth inequality.

Piketty's ideas have been widely adopted in mainstream economics, particularly in the context of policy debates in countries like the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom. His theories on wealth concentration and the limits of capital accumulation have also influenced fields beyond economics, such as sociology and politics.

**Key Facts and Awards**

* Winner of the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for History
* Winner of the 2014 Yrjö Jahnsson Award for contributions to economic science
* Recipient of the 2013 Levacher book prize
* Published over 200 papers and articles in prominent academic journals
* Collaborated with international economists such as Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman

In summary, Thomas Piketty is a renowned French economist and public intellectual, recognized for his pioneering work on economic inequality and capital theory. His influential book, 'Capital in the Twenty-First Century', has become a landmark in the field of economics, influencing policymakers and intellectuals worldwide.