Alan Greenspan obituary

American economist and long-serving head of the Federal Reserve widely praised for the US boom whose reputation was re-evaluated in the wake of the 2008 crash

For his work chairing the US Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan, who has died aged 100, was regularly hailed by financiers, politicians and journalists for his handling of the economy. He was variously dubbed the Oracle, the Wizard and the Maestro.

As head of the central bank of the US from 1987 to 2006, tasked with setting interest rates and supervising and regulating banks and other financial institutions, he easily ranked as one of the most powerful individuals in the world. He served under four presidents: Ronald Reagan, George HW Bush, Bill Clinton - even though Greenspan was a lifelong Republican - and George W Bush.