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Niall Ferguson

Managing Director/Founder

Niall Ferguson is the Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and the author, most recently, of “Doom: The Politics of Catastrophe.” He is a columnist for The Free Press.

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FRA-ILLUSTRATION-CRYPTO

Bloomberg Opinion

Stablecoins Are the Future But Banks Will Survive

January 26, 2026

January 26, 2026

OpinionNiall Ferguson and Manny Rincon-Cruz

Stablecoins Are the Future But Banks Will Survive

FRA-ILLUSTRATION-CRYPTO

May 19, 2024

May 19, 2024

OpinionNiall Ferguson

Biden Can’t Pay His Way Out of Fighting Cold War II

As Britain found out against Napoleon, at some point you will have to put your own boots on the ground.

The Battle of Waterloo

May 5, 2024

May 5, 2024

OpinionNiall Ferguson

How to Use and Misuse History in Cold War II With China

Eight examples — from the triumphs of populism to failures of economics — show how analyzing past experience can improve your forecasting and decision-making.

How to Use and Misuse History in Cold War II With China

April 21, 2024

April 21, 2024

OpinionNiall Ferguson

The Second Cold War Is Escalating Faster Than the First

To understand what is at stake in the fight against the axis of China, Russia and Iran, just read “The Lord of the Rings.”

TOPSHOT-CHINA-RUSSIA-DIPLOMACY

April 7, 2024

April 7, 2024

OpinionNiall Ferguson

From Deepfakes to Arms Races, AI Politics Is Here

Large language models are only going to get more devious, and it’s unlikely that any sort of regulation can rein in the machines.

From Deepfakes to Arms Races, AI Politics Is Here

March 24, 2024

March 24, 2024

OpinionNiall Ferguson

Resistance Is Futile, But Maybe Not With AI

Your job is on the line, especially if artificial intelligence gets smart enough to answer these 6 questions.

TOPSHOT-US-TECHNOLOGY-COMPUTERS-WSJ

March 10, 2024

March 10, 2024

OpinionNiall Ferguson

Global Population Crash Isn't Sci-Fi Anymore

We used to worry about the planet getting too crowded, but there are plenty of downsides to a shrinking humanity as well.

CHINA-HONG KONG-PROPERTY-EVERGRANDE

February 25, 2024

February 25, 2024

OpinionNiall Ferguson

Ukraine Needs Total Western Support — and So Does Israel

Two nations are fighting for their existence against absolutist enemies, but one is the victim of a double standard.

ISRAEL-UKRAIN-DIPLOMACY

February 11, 2024

February 11, 2024

OpinionNiall Ferguson

If You Think World War III Is Unimaginable, Read This

Novelists and filmmakers have long developed alternative histories of major conflicts that should serve as warnings for complacent Americans.

TOPSHOT-CHINA-POLITICS-ANNIVERSARY

January 14, 2024

January 14, 2024

OpinionNiall Ferguson

America’s Longtime Sources of Power Have Turned Weak

The US used to be good at persuading allies to pursue its ends and deterring enemies from pursuing theirs. That advantage is being squandered in seven significant ways.

SPAIN-NATO-POLITICS-DIPLOMACY-SUMMIT

December 31, 2023

December 31, 2023

OpinionNiall Ferguson

The US and Europe Risk Flunking Geopolitics 101

A failure to stand by their commitments to Ukraine will cost them dearly in decades to come.

President Of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky Addresses Congress

December 17, 2023

December 17, 2023

OpinionNiall Ferguson

If You Held On for Dear Life, It's a Merry Cryptomas!

Blockchain currencies didn't just survive the collapse of FTX, they’ve been the investment of the year. Turns out, decentralized finance doesn't need exchanges.

Russia's Minto Cryptocurrency Mining Farm

November 30, 2023

November 30, 2023

OpinionNiall Ferguson

Henry Kissinger Was a Complex Man for a Complex Century

The late secretary of state knew that diplomacy inevitably boiled down to a choice between evils.

Henry Kissinger Was a Complex Man for a Complex Century

November 20, 2023

November 20, 2023

OpinionNiall Ferguson

In Cold War II, the US Risks Playing the Soviet Role

Détente is mainly about playing for time. But we shouldn't assume that time is on America's side rather than China's.

TOPSHOT-US-CHINA-DIPLOMACY-APEC-SUMMIT

November 6, 2023

November 6, 2023

OpinionNiall Ferguson

The War on Hamas Spells Trouble for the War on Inflation

The clash in Israel and Gaza should bring a reminder from the 1970s: Central bankers and investors must beware of false dawns.

US Fuel Crisis

October 22, 2023

October 22, 2023

OpinionNiall Ferguson

EU Backs Ukraine But Has Qualms About Israel. That Won’t Work.

The two conflicts are already too intertwined to be considered in isolation from one other.

Pro-Israel Demonstration At Israeli Embassy In London

October 9, 2023

October 9, 2023

OpinionNiall Ferguson

Law of Unintended Consequences Caused the Great Bond Rout

Nobody could have predicted the Treasury market’s collapse of the last two years — apart from every critic of artificially low interest rates since John Locke.

Fed Chair Powell Holds News Conference Following FOMC Rate Decision

September 24, 2023

September 24, 2023

OpinionNiall Ferguson

The West's Patience Is Running Shorter Than Ukraine's War

US support is starting to waver, and while European governments are stepping up, their citizens are losing faith.

TOPSHOT-UKRAINE-RUSSIA-CONFLICT-WAR

September 10, 2023

September 10, 2023

OpinionNiall Ferguson

The US and China Are Waging a Cold War That Is Truly MAD

A conflict between the two superpowers would trigger mutually assured financial destruction.

The King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa Visits China

August 27, 2023

August 27, 2023

OpinionNiall Ferguson

We Need AI Arms Control to Keep the New Cold War From Turning Hot

A new book by Mustafa Suleyman, a pioneer in artificial intelligence, highlights the pitfalls facing the world as the US and China vie for supremacy in a technology as potentially dangerous as nuclear fission.

The Petersen Automotive Museum Opens New Exhibit "Hollywood Dream Machines: Vehicles Of Science Fiction And Fantasy"