Who Is Murray Rothbard? Age, Biography and Wiki
Murray Rothbard was born on March 2, 1926, in New York City, and passed away on January 7, 1995. Renowned as an American economist, Rothbard was a key figure in the Austrian School of economics, deeply influencing libertarian thought and the development of free-market economics. As of 2025, he remains a celebrated figure in economics, with his ideas continuing to shape discussions on liberty, finance, and government intervention.
| Occupation | Philosophers |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | March 2, 1926 |
| Age | 68 Years |
| Birth Place | New York City, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Pisces |
| Country | U.S |
| Date of death | 7 January, 1995 |
| Died Place | New York City, U.S. |
Popularity
Murray Rothbard's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
While specific physical measurements of Rothbard are not widely documented, it is noted that he had a distinctive presence. He was average in height and stature, but his intellectual contributions certainly overshadowed any physical attributes.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Murray Rothbard was married to Joan Rothbard. The couple shared a life rooted in intellectual pursuits and libertarian ideals. They had three children together and fostered a family atmosphere that encouraged deep discussions on economics and philosophy. The family continues to uphold his legacy while engaging with the ideas he championed.
Rothbard's parents were David and Rae Rothbard, Jewish immigrants to the United States from Poland and Russia, respectively. David was a chemist. He attended Birch Wathen Lenox School, a private school in New York City. Rothbard later said he much preferred Birch Wathen to the "debasing and egalitarian public school system" he had attended in the Bronx.
Net Worth and Salary
While Murray Rothbard's exact net worth at the time of his passing is difficult to ascertain due to the nature of academic scholars' financial standing, estimates suggest he accumulated a respectable net worth. His successful career as an author, economist, and educator contributed to his financial stability, although he often prioritized his ideological beliefs over monetary gain. In 2025, discussions about his economic theories continue to generate interest, potentially enhancing his posthumous financial legacy through royalties and licensing of his work.
Rothbard wrote a series of polemics in which he deprecated a number of leading modern economists. He vilified Adam Smith, calling him a "shameless plagiarist" who set economics off track, ultimately leading to the rise of Marxism.
Rothbard praised Smith's contemporaries, including Richard Cantillon, Anne Robert Jacques Turgot and Étienne Bonnot de Condillac, for developing the subjective theory of value. In response to Rothbard's charge that Smith's The Wealth of Nations was largely plagiarized, David D.
Friedman castigated Rothbard's scholarship and character, saying that he "was [either] deliberately dishonest or never really read the book he was criticizing". Tony Endres called Rothbard's treatment of Smith a "travesty".
Career, Business and Investments
Rothbard's career spanned decades, where he served as a professor of economics at several universities, including New York University. He was a prolific writer, authoring numerous books and articles that delved deep into economics, political philosophy, and history. Rothbard's pivotal works, such as "Man, Economy, and State" and "Power and Market," laid the foundation for the modern libertarian movement.
As an advocate for laissez-faire capitalism, Rothbard critiqued government regulation and interference in markets. His business ventures were mostly centered around academic efforts and consultations, rather than traditional investments. By 2025, his ideological contributions continue to attract attention, prompting new generations to engage with his ideas.
Murray Newton Rothbard (March 2, 1926 – January 7, 1995) was an American economist of the Austrian School, economic historian, political theorist, and activist.
Rothbard was a central figure in the 20th-century American libertarian movement, particularly its right-wing strands, and was a founder and leading theoretician of anarcho-capitalism (as termed by Rothbard; but later opposing the 'anarchism' label on both etymological and historical grounds).
He wrote over twenty books on political theory, history, economics, and other subjects.
Social Network
Murray Rothbard is celebrated in various online forums and social media platforms dedicated to economics and libertarianism. His works are frequently shared and discussed on platforms like Twitter, Reddit, and specialized economic discussion boards. His legacy endures as his thoughts provoke discourse among scholars, students, and freedom advocates alike.
Rothbard and other Mises Institute scholars criticized libertarian groups funded by the Koch brothers, referring to them as the "Kochtopus".
In contrast to some other libertarian groups, the Mises Institute "pushed more politically marginal positions like the virtues of secession, the need for a return to the gold standard, and opposition to racial integration", according to historian Quinn Slobodian.
Rothbard split with the Radical Caucus at the 1983 national convention over cultural issues and aligned himself with what he called the "right-wing populist" wing of the party, notably Lew Rockwell and Ron Paul, who ran for president on the Libertarian Party ticket in 1988.
Education
Rothbard's educational journey was foundational to his career. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Columbia University in 1943, and later earned his Master's degree and PhD in Economics from the same institution. His education under notable economists not only shaped his understanding of economic principles but also influenced his libertarian perspectives. Rothbard's commitment to education and intellectual rigor is evident in his extensive bibliography and teaching endeavors.
Rothbard attended Columbia University, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics in 1945 and a PhD in economics in 1956. His first political activism came in 1948, on behalf of the segregationist South Carolinian Strom Thurmond's presidential campaign.
In the 1948 presidential election, Rothbard, "as a Jewish student at Columbia, horrified his peers by organizing a Students for Strom Thurmond chapter, so staunchly did he believe in states' rights", according to The American Conservative.
The delay in receiving his PhD was due in part to conflict with his advisor, Joseph Dorfman, and in part to Arthur Burns's rejecting his dissertation. Burns was a longtime friend of the Rothbard family and their neighbor at their Manhattan apartment building.
It was only after Burns went on leave from the Columbia faculty to head President Eisenhower's Council of Economic Advisers that Rothbard's thesis was accepted, and he received his doctorate. Rothbard later said that all his fellow students were extreme leftists and that he was one of only two Republicans at Columbia at the time.
