‘Free market is key to enriching the poor’

Deirdre McCloskey has been a lot of things in her life — a Marxist, an anarchist, a contemporary of Milton Friedman and a man called Donald.

Ms McCloskey is a distinguished professor of economics in University of Illinois who transitioned from male to female in 1995, at the age of 53. However, she prefers not to be defined by her sex.

Due to her varied background, she likes to take a long view on the world economy. She believes more economic historians are needed so that we can get a clear view on the benefits that the free market has brought to the world.