'Met for 2 hours. He started writing equations': Gita Gopinath names the world leader who left a lasting impression on her
Gopinath said Milei stood out among the many presidents and heads of state she encountered during her tenure at the IMF
- Jun 30, 2026,
- Updated Jun 30, 2026 12:05 PM IST
Former IMF Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath has named Argentine President Javier Milei as one of the most memorable world leaders she met during her years at the International Monetary Fund.
She described him as a leader with an unwavering belief in his vision.
Gopinath said Milei stood out among the many presidents and heads of state she encountered during her tenure at the IMF.
Don't Miss: 'You're in the wrong chair': When Gita Gopinath faced bias as IMF chief economist
Asked whether any world leader had left a deep and lasting impression on her, Gopinath first cited Mahatma Gandhi, before turning to leaders she had personally met.
"President Javier Milei of Argentina was quite unique because he was the only president with whom I spent two hours having a one-on-one conversation, and he's an economist," she said while speaking to Barkha Dutt at the 'We The Women' event in London.
According to Gopinath, the discussion quickly turned into an economics session. "He started writing equations on a piece of paper, and we were staring at it, and so that was fun. That's rare," she said.
Gopinath said what struck her most was Milei's conviction.
"But he's somebody who had a hell of a lot of belief in what he was doing. And sometimes you need that. You do need that. You need a vision. You need a strategy. Everything doesn't go well all the time. But he was so sure in his head - what is it that he needed to accomplish," the economist added.
When asked how she reacted to Milei's confidence, Gopinath said she enjoyed the exchange despite differences in economic thinking. "No, it was great. I enjoyed having that conversation. No, that was great. We don't agree on everything in terms of how economies work, but he was really thoughtful," she said.
Milei, a libertarian economist who took office as Argentina's president in December 2023, inherited an economy grappling with triple-digit inflation, fiscal deficits and foreign exchange shortages.
Since taking office, his government has implemented sweeping austerity measures, cut public spending, pursued fiscal surpluses, and eased several currency controls. The policies have helped sharply reduce inflation from triple-digit levels, with monthly inflation falling to multi-year lows, while international institutions including the IMF have acknowledged progress on inflation and fiscal reforms.
Former IMF Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath has named Argentine President Javier Milei as one of the most memorable world leaders she met during her years at the International Monetary Fund.
She described him as a leader with an unwavering belief in his vision.
Gopinath said Milei stood out among the many presidents and heads of state she encountered during her tenure at the IMF.
Don't Miss: 'You're in the wrong chair': When Gita Gopinath faced bias as IMF chief economist
Asked whether any world leader had left a deep and lasting impression on her, Gopinath first cited Mahatma Gandhi, before turning to leaders she had personally met.
"President Javier Milei of Argentina was quite unique because he was the only president with whom I spent two hours having a one-on-one conversation, and he's an economist," she said while speaking to Barkha Dutt at the 'We The Women' event in London.
According to Gopinath, the discussion quickly turned into an economics session. "He started writing equations on a piece of paper, and we were staring at it, and so that was fun. That's rare," she said.
Gopinath said what struck her most was Milei's conviction.
"But he's somebody who had a hell of a lot of belief in what he was doing. And sometimes you need that. You do need that. You need a vision. You need a strategy. Everything doesn't go well all the time. But he was so sure in his head - what is it that he needed to accomplish," the economist added.
When asked how she reacted to Milei's confidence, Gopinath said she enjoyed the exchange despite differences in economic thinking. "No, it was great. I enjoyed having that conversation. No, that was great. We don't agree on everything in terms of how economies work, but he was really thoughtful," she said.
Milei, a libertarian economist who took office as Argentina's president in December 2023, inherited an economy grappling with triple-digit inflation, fiscal deficits and foreign exchange shortages.
Since taking office, his government has implemented sweeping austerity measures, cut public spending, pursued fiscal surpluses, and eased several currency controls. The policies have helped sharply reduce inflation from triple-digit levels, with monthly inflation falling to multi-year lows, while international institutions including the IMF have acknowledged progress on inflation and fiscal reforms.