Who Is Bryan Caplan? Age, Biography and Wiki
Born on April 8, 1971, Bryan Caplan is a prominent American behavioral economist and author known for his insightful perspectives on economics and social issues. As of 2025, he is 53 years old. Caplan earned his Ph.D. in economics from Princeton University and has been a tenured professor at George Mason University since 2003. His work primarily focuses on the intersection of economics and psychology, and he is especially known for his books, including The Myth of the Rational Voter and Selfish Reasons to Have More Kids.
| Occupation | Economist |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | April 8, 1971 |
| Age | 54 Years |
| Birth Place | Northridge, California, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Aries |
| Country | U.S |
Popularity
Bryan Caplan's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
While specific statistics on Bryan Caplan's height and weight are not widely available, he is generally noted for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. His appearance reflects an academic's inclination towards a modest demeanor. However, precise body measurements are seldom documented in public forums.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
As of 2025, Bryan Caplan is married and has four children. His family life remains private, but he often shares anecdotes and perspectives on parenting that align with his economic theories, reflecting his commitment to family and personal values. There is limited information regarding his dating history prior to his marriage, as Caplan tends to keep his personal life out of the public eye.
In 2011, Caplan published his second book, titled Selfish Reasons to Have More Kids, arguing that people often work too hard in child-rearing, and as a result, they are scared of the idea of having children. Caplan's book urged parents to relax with respect to child-rearing.
The book argues that as the perceived costs (in terms of child-rearing expense and effort) of having children fell, it made sense to have more children based on the basic theory of supply and demand. The book was reviewed in The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, RealClearMarkets, and The Washington Times.
It also led to debates sponsored by The Wall Street Journal and The Guardian. The Guardian had Caplan debating "Tiger Mom" Amy Chua on the merits of strict parenting style. The book was also featured in a story on National Public Radio. Kirkus Reviews described it as "inconsistent and unpersuasive."
Net Worth and Salary
Bryan Caplan's net worth is estimated to be around $3 million as of 2025. His wealth primarily stems from his career in academia, book sales, and various speaking engagements. As a tenured professor and an author, his salary reflects his expertise and reputation in the field of economics.
In 2022, Caplan published Labor Econ Versus the World: Essays on the World's Greatest Market, a collection of his essays from the publication EconLog edited by Jack Pfefferkorn. In it, Caplan argues against minimum wage laws, immigration bans, government spending on education, and Keynesianism.
Career, Business and Investments
Bryan Caplan has had a successful and varied career. Besides his role as a professor at George Mason University, he is an active blogger and public speaker. Caplan has contributed to several academic journals and is known for his work on public choice theory and his advocacy for libertarian policies. Additionally, he runs the "EconLog" blog, where he discusses economic theory and policy implications. His investments focus primarily on his career growth rather than traditional businesses.
The Case Against Education: Why the Education System Is a Waste of Time and Money was published in 2018 by Princeton University Press.
Drawing on the economic concept of job market signaling and research in educational psychology, the book argues that much of higher education is very inefficient and has only a small effect in improving human capital, contrary to much of the conventional consensus in labor economics that Caplan claims takes the human capital theory for granted.
Social Network
Bryan Caplan maintains an active presence on several social media platforms, including Twitter and LinkedIn. He uses these platforms to share insights from his research, engage with followers on economic issues, and discuss current events related to behavioral economics. His social network allows fans and colleagues alike to interact with him directly, fostering a sense of community around his intellectual pursuits.
In a June 2011 blog post titled "The Ideological Turing Test" contesting Paul Krugman's claim that political liberals can accurately state conservatives' views but not vice versa, Caplan proposed a test analogous to a kind of Turing test: instead of judging whether a chatbot had accurately imitated a person, the test would judge whether a person ha
d accurately stated the views of ideological opponents to the opponents' satisfaction.
Other writers have since said of someone that they can (or can't) "pass an ideological Turing test" if they are deemed to be capable (or incapable) of understanding and accurately stating an adversary's arguments.
Education
Caplan’s academic background is robust, with a B.A. in economics from the University of California, Berkeley, followed by a Ph.D. from Princeton University. His education laid the foundation for his extensive research and teaching career, enabling him to influence the fields of behavioral economics and political economy significantly.
Bryan Douglas Caplan (born April 8, 1971) is an American economist and author. He is a professor of economics at George Mason University, a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center, an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute, and a former contributor to the Freakonomics blog. He currently publishes his own blog, Bet on It.
Caplan is a self-described "economic libertarian". The bulk of Caplan's academic work is in behavioral economics and public economics, especially public choice theory.
