Some time ago, we shared our dream dinner party with five historical economists—think Adam Smith, Mary Paley, and John Maynard Keynes—who, sadly, are no longer around to RSVP. But what if the economists had to be live? Well that change things a little.

Grom our last post one guest definitely keeps her seat at the table: Claudia Goldin, 2023 Nobel Laureate. Her research on women’s participation in the labour market and the gender pay gap has reshaped how we understand work and equality.

Who else would we invite?

Here is the rest of our guest list (we want to highlight there are many who are not included, and definitely we should organise other dinners):

Daron Acemoglu – His work on political institutions, technological change, and inequality makes him one of the most influential voices on the future of work and democracy.

Ha-Joon Chang – A heterodox economist with a sharp, engaging voice on development, industrial policy, and economic history—plus, we hear he’d be great fun at a dinner table!

Richard Thaler – Nobel Laureate whose work helped integrate psychology into economics. Imagine the dinner chat about nudge theory, bounded rationality, and real-world decision-making.

Carmen Reinhart – Known for her work on financial crises, sovereign debt, and the boom-bust cycle in global economies.

From incentives to institutions, inequality to irrationality—this dinner would have it all.

Who would you invite?