GlobalData research has found the top macroeconomic influencers based on their performance and engagement online. Using research from GlobalData’s Influencer platform, Verdict has named ten of the most influential people in macroeconomics on Twitter during Q4 2019.

Biggest influencers in macroeconomics: The top ten in Q4 2019

1. Simon Wren-Lewis (@sjwrenlewis)

Simon Wren-Lewis is an economics professor and a Fellow of Merton College, at the University of Oxford. He regularly contributes to the Mainly Micro, a blog for both non-economists and economists. Simon has written and published several papers on macroeconomics, and also advised the Bank of England on a new macromodel. He currently analyses monetary and fiscal policies in small macromodels, and on equilibrium exchange rates.

Twitter followers: 34,826

GlobalData influencer score: 100

2. Daniel Lacalle (@dlacalle_IA)

Daniel Lacalle is the chief investment officer at Tressis Gestión SGIIC, an asset management company comprising investment institutions. A fund manager and a professor Global Economics, Daniel is ranked as one of the most influential economists of the world. Apart from a being a key speaker at important forums, he has authored books such as Life in the Financial Markets, The Energy World is Flat, and Escape from the Central Bank Trap.

Twitter followers: 61,138

GlobalData influencer score: 96

3. Steve Hanke (@steve_hanke)

Steve Hanke is a professor of Applied Economics at the John Hopkins University, Maryland. He helped establish the currency regimes in Argentina, Estonia, Bulgaria, and Ecuador, among others. Steve has also advised the government on many countries including Albania, Yugoslavia, and Kazakhstan. A renowned currency and commodity trader, he also founded the Institute for Applied Economics, Global Health, and has authored numerous books such as Zimbabwe: Hyperinflation to Growth, A Blueprint for a Safe, Sound Georgian Lari, and Currency Boards for Developing Countries: A Handbook.

Twitter followers: 171,118

GlobalData influencer score: 92

4. Noah Smith (@Noahpinion)

Noah Smith is an opinion writer for Bloomberg. An economics writer, Noah was an assistant professor of finance at Stony Brook University, and regularly contributes to Noahpinion.

Twitter followers: 167,886

GlobalData influencer score: 90

5. Gabriel Zucman (@gabriel_zucman)

Gabriel Zucman is an associate professor of economics at the University of California, Berkeley. His research is mainly based around global wealth, inequalities and tax havens.

Twitter followers: 52,644

GlobalData influencer score: 90

6. John Ashcroft (@jkaonline)

John Ashcroft specialises in areas such as business strategy, global economics, board room strategies, and financial markets. He created the John Ashcroft and the Saturday Economist, a weekly update of the UK and the global economy. With experience in the public and private sectors, John has extensive experience serving as director and developing strategies for large businesses and SMEs. He has also worked in corporate development and finance, and created profiles and models for acquisition targets.

Twitter followers: 99,541

GlobalData influencer score: 82

7. Jonathan Portes (@jdportes)

Jonathan Portes is a professor of economics and public policy at King’s College London. He is also senior fellow of the ‘UK in a Changing Europe’ initiative that focuses on high-quality research and the changing relationship between the UK and the European Union. His current research is based around immigration and labour mobility, inside and outside the European Union, as well as the economic implications of Brexit.

Twitter followers: 60,653

GlobalData influencer score: 79

8. Mohamed El Erian (@elerianm)

Mohamed El Erian is an advisor for the International Advisory Group. He is a contributing editor for Financial Times, and is also a Bloomberg columnist. He has been served many boards and committees, and authored eminent books such as When Markets Collide and The Only Game in Town.

Twitter followers: 228,297

GlobalData influencer score: 77

9. Duncan Weldon (@DuncanWeldon)

Duncan Weldon is an economics correspondent for The Economist. A writer and broadcaster, Duncan worked as BBC’s Newsnight economics and business editor in 2014. He is also known to have joined the Labour Party at the age of 18 and is a former Bank of England employee. His book on the British economic history is due in 2021.

Twitter followers: 39,912

GlobalData influencer score: 71

10. Gregory Daco (@GregDaco)

Gregory Daco is the chief US economist at the Oxford Economics, an independent economic firm that provides analysis, advice, and forecasts to international organisations. He specialises in macroeconomics, forecasting, and economic research. A frequent guest to Bloomberg, CNBC, and NPR, Daco provides regular updates on the world economy to corporates, policymakers, and trade associations.

Twitter followers: 5,039

GlobalData influencer score: 70