Didier Queloz
2019 Nobel Laureate in Physics | Jacksonian Professor, University of Cambridge | Discoverer of the First Exoplanet | ETH Zurich
Angus Deaton
2015 Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences | Senior Scholar, Princeton University | Expert on Poverty, Inequality & Human Welfare
One of the defining economic voices of our era, Sir Angus Deaton won the 2015 Nobel Prize in Economics for his groundbreaking analysis of poverty, consumption, and human welfare. His research on "deaths of despair" — co-authored with Anne Case — reshaped global conversations on inequality and public health. Audiences gain rigorous, evidence-based insight into the forces driving societal fracture and what it takes to build economies that genuinely work for everyone.
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Angus Deaton biography
Sir Angus Deaton is the 2015 Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences, awarded for his foundational analysis of consumption, poverty, and welfare. Born in Edinburgh and educated at the University of Cambridge, where he earned his doctorate in 1974, Deaton went on to teach at the University of Bristol before joining Princeton University in 1983. He holds the Eisenhower Professorship of Economics and International Affairs Emeritus at Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs and is currently a Senior Scholar there, as well as Presidential Professor of Economics at the University of Southern California.
Nobel economics speaker Angus Deaton is best known for his rigorous, data-driven work on how individuals make consumption decisions, how those decisions relate to income and savings across a lifetime, and what household spending data reveals about poverty and welfare at scale. His methodological innovations — particularly the Almost Ideal Demand System he developed with John Muellbauer — gave economists and policymakers a far more precise lens through which to measure living standards and design effective policy. He is a Fellow of the Econometric Society, a member of the National Academy of Sciences, a Corresponding Fellow of the British Academy, and the first-ever recipient of the Frisch Medal for Applied Econometrics. He was also President of the American Economic Association in 2009 and was knighted in 2016 for his services to economics and international affairs.
From Global Escape to American Despair
His 2013 book The Great Escape: Health, Wealth, and the Origins of Inequality examined the long arc of human progress — how life expectancy and living standards rose dramatically over two centuries — while asking why so many were left behind. That line of inquiry deepened into one of the most consequential research collaborations in contemporary social science: his work with economist Anne Case on “deaths of despair.” Their landmark research documented a shocking rise in mortality among working-class Americans without a college degree — driven by suicide, drug overdose, and alcoholism — and their New York Times bestselling book Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism made international headlines for its indictment of structural inequality and a broken healthcare system. His most recent book, Economics in America: An Immigrant Economist Explores the Land of Inequality, turns a candid and often sharp eye on his own profession — examining what economics gets right, where it fails, and how it shapes the policies that determine whether societies flourish or fracture.
As a speaker, Angus Deaton brings Nobel-caliber intellectual authority to questions that sit at the top of every senior leader’s agenda: the real causes of inequality, why healthcare systems fail the most vulnerable, what consumption data reveals about societal health, and how policymakers can build economies that work for everyone — not just the educated elite. His talks are marked by rigorous evidence, genuine candor, and the rare ability to make complex economic research immediately relevant to decision-makers in business, government, and civil society.
Angus Deaton Speaking Videos
2015 Nobel Lecture in Economic Sciences
The Great Escape: Health, Wealth, and Inequality
Angus Deaton Keynote Topics
This keynote draws on Deaton's decades of research to explain how economic inequality is generated, why it is not simply a byproduct of growth, and what policy levers genuinely move the needle. He examines the relationship between market structure, healthcare costs, and labor market shifts — moving beyond ideology to evidence — and offers a clear-eyed framework for leaders navigating decisions with distributional consequences. Audiences leave with a deeper understanding of why inequality is both an economic and a moral challenge, and what responsible institutions can do about it.
Based on his landmark research with Anne Case, Deaton examines the dramatic rise in deaths from suicide, drug overdose, and alcoholism among working-class Americans — and what this crisis exposes about the structural failures of the American economic model. This talk goes beyond statistics to explore the role of healthcare systems, corporate power, and the collapse of community institutions, offering insights directly relevant to leaders in healthcare, finance, and public policy who want to understand the real human cost of economic dysfunction.
Drawing from his book The Great Escape, Deaton traces the extraordinary improvements in human longevity and living standards since the Industrial Revolution — and then asks the harder question: why have those gains been so unequally distributed, and what does the stalling of progress in recent decades tell us about where we go next? This is a keynote for organizations grappling with global development strategy, ESG commitments, or the long-term sustainability of their business environment. Deaton brings both historical sweep and practical urgency to one of the defining questions of our time.
In his most personally candid keynote, Deaton draws on Economics in America and decades of practice to offer a frank critique of the economics profession — its blind spots, its political entanglements, and its failures to anticipate the social crises it helped create. This session is particularly powerful for audiences in finance, academia, policy, and consulting who want to understand the limits of economic orthodoxy and what a more honest, human-centered approach to evidence and decision-making looks like.
FAQs on Booking Angus Deaton
Why Angus Deaton?
Booking Angus Deaton for your event means bringing one of the world's most consequential economic thinkers to your stage. As the 2015 Nobel Laureate in Economics, Sir Angus Deaton has spent decades producing research that has genuinely changed how governments, international organizations, and business leaders understand poverty, inequality, consumption, and human welfare. What makes him exceptional as a speaker is not just the Nobel credential — it's the rare combination of intellectual depth, accessibility, and moral urgency that defines his talks. He translates frontier economics into practical insight: why inequality is not inevitable, what the data on living standards actually tells us, and what responsible leadership looks like in an era of widening gaps. Organizations that bring Deaton to the stage signal to their audience that they take these questions seriously. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to check his availability.
What is "deaths of despair" and why does it matter?
"Deaths of despair" refers to a category of mortality — deaths from suicide, drug overdose, and alcohol-related illness — that Angus Deaton and economist Anne Case identified as rising sharply among working-class Americans without a college degree. Their research, first published in a landmark 2015 paper and expanded in their bestselling book Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism, revealed that life expectancy among this group was declining — an almost unprecedented reversal in a wealthy nation in peacetime. The research showed that these deaths are not random but are driven by structural forces: wage stagnation, the collapse of stable employment, a dysfunctional healthcare system, and the erosion of community and meaning. The term has entered mainstream policy vocabulary and reshaped discussions around inequality, healthcare reform, and the social contract.
What did Angus Deaton win the Nobel Prize for?
Angus Deaton was awarded the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel in 2015 for his analysis of consumption, poverty, and welfare. His work developed new frameworks for understanding how individuals and households allocate spending across goods and over time, how to measure poverty and living standards using consumption data, and what this data reveals about economic development and wellbeing at a global scale. His methodological contributions — including the Almost Ideal Demand System — became foundational tools in development economics and public policy, and are still widely used by researchers and international institutions today.
What topics does economics speaker Angus Deaton cover?
As one of the world's leading economics speakers, Angus Deaton addresses topics including global inequality and its causes, the economics of health and healthcare systems, poverty measurement and development policy, the "deaths of despair" crisis in the United States, the role of consumption data in welfare analysis, and the relationship between economic policy and democratic legitimacy. His keynotes are equally relevant for financial institutions, healthcare organizations, policy forums, and senior leadership conferences. Aurum Speakers Bureau can help tailor his engagement to your audience's priorities — reach out to discuss availability and format.
How to book Angus Deaton as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Angus Deaton as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Angus Deaton's availability for a speaking engagement. One of our booking agents will respond to your request immediately and contact the speaker to let them know you want to hire them. We will assist you with obtaining speaking fees, booking information, and confirming availability for Angus Deaton or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Angus Deaton speaking fee?
Angus Deaton speaking fees are determined by several factors, including the event's date, whether it's a virtual or in-person event, the duration, format, preparation required for their speech, and more. The same applies to the cost to hire any other top expert speakers and celebrities. The Speaker Fee Range listed on our website is simply a guideline and is subject to change without notice. If you would like to hire Angus Deaton to deliver a keynote speech for your event, please fill out the contact form or email us at info@aurumbureau.com with as much detail as possible. One of our experienced agents will get in touch with you and let you know exactly how much it will cost to book Angus Deaton.
How can I contact Angus Deaton?
We only work with Angus Deaton on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Angus Deaton and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Angus Deaton speak at your event. We will be your sole point of contact throughout the process. Get in touch with Aurum Speakers Bureau today, and we will reach out to any motivational speaker or celebrity you want to enquire about speaking at your event. If you wish to contact Angus Deaton for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Angus Deaton for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Angus Deaton is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Angus Deaton for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
