Nobel Prize in Economics: Who is Richard Thaler?

A pioneer in the field of behavioral economics, he also made a cameo appearance in 2015's The Big Short

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences on Monday selected American economist Richard Thaler of the University of Chicago as the winner of the 2017 Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, recognizing him for contributions to the field of behavioral economics.

Who is he?

Mr. Thaler, 72 years old, is from New Jersey. He attended Case Western Reserve University and earned his doctorate from the University of Rochester in 1974. Since 1995, he has taught at the University of Chicago, where he is the Charles R. Walgreen Distinguished Service Professor of Economics and Behavioral Science