Alan Greenspan, the longtime chairman of the Federal Reserve whose influence over American economic policy earned him the nickname "The Maestro," has died at the age of 100. Greenspan served as the nation's top central banker from 1987 to 2006, a tenure spanning the administrations of four presidents and some of the most consequential financial events in modern American history.

During his nearly two decades at the helm of the Federal Reserve, Greenspan navigated the U.S. economy through the stock market crash of October 1987, the savings and loan crisis, the boom and bust of the dot-com era, and the economic disruption that followed the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. His ability to steer the economy through successive crises won widespread admiration from policymakers and financial markets alike, and his public statements were parsed by investors worldwide for any hint of the Fed's next move.

Born in New York City in 1926, Greenspan trained as an economist and worked as a business consultant before entering public life. He served on the Council of Economic Advisers under President Gerald Ford before being appointed Fed chairman by President Ronald Reagan. He was subsequently reappointed by Presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush, a record of bipartisan confidence that underscored his singular stature in Washington.

Greenspan's legacy has grown more complicated in the years since his retirement. His championing of financial deregulation and his long reluctance to use the Fed's regulatory authority to curb risky mortgage lending practices drew intense scrutiny after the collapse of the housing market and the global financial crisis of 2008. In congressional testimony that year, Greenspan acknowledged he had found a "flaw" in his ideology — his belief that the self-interest of financial institutions would protect shareholders and the broader economy.

Tributes from across the political and financial spectrum acknowledged both his extraordinary influence and the enduring questions surrounding his tenure. Economists and former colleagues remembered him as a towering figure who shaped the modern understanding of central banking, while critics argued that his legacy serves as a cautionary tale about the limits of deregulation and the dangers of unchecked financial innovation.