Luigi Zingales

Luigi Zingales holds the Robert C. McCormack Distinguished Service Professorship of Entrepreneurship and Finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He concurrently serves as Director of the University of Chicago’s Stigler Center and Founding Director of the Center for Economic Analysis of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, where he shapes research on market regulation and corporate governance.

His research program critically examines corporate governance structures, financial system development, and the political economy of capitalism, with pioneering work on how cultural norms influence economic institutions. He extends this inquiry into the economic effects of culture, analyzing how civic capital shapes responses to crises like pandemics. His scholarship bridges theoretical rigor with policy relevance, evidenced by extensive publications in top-tier economics and finance journals and recognition as SSRN’s 10th most cited social science author.

Recent publications reveal evolving emphases: early work focused on saving capitalism through institutional reform (e.g., Saving Capitalism from the Capitalists, 2003), while current research investigates culture’s role in comparative advantage and civic behavior during disruptions. His VoxEU columns consistently address urgent policy dilemmas, from Italian economic stagnation to financial crisis management.

Scientific recognition includes:

• Bernacer Prize for Europe’s best young financial economist (2004)

Through the Stigler Center, Zingales leads initiatives analyzing regulatory frameworks and market concentration, while the PCAOB Center advances empirical research on accounting oversight. His books A Capitalism for the People (2012) and policy commentaries demonstrate sustained engagement with democratic capitalism’s institutional foundations.