Beijing's Most Interesting People 2014: Michael Pettis

The year is drawing to a close, and once again we wanted to look at the people who are helping to shape our lives here in Beijing. So we looked at the artists, the chefs, the entrepreneurs, and a whole lot of other people who are making their mark on the city – and on us and our lifestyle – and put together this look at 10 individuals who are giving it their all. Each one of them is a true Beijinger, regardless of the length of their stay: creative, determined, and hard-working.

Michael Pettis
Professor of Finance, Guanghua School of Business,  Peking University
Co-founder, Maybe Mars

Wall Street veteran, merchant banker, equities trader, economist, finance professor, entrepreneur iconoclast Michael Pettis is a unique individual living and working in China, at the heart of the world’s most exciting and vibrant economy.

Having learned firsthand how markets operate during his years on Wall Street, Pettis has taken his knowledge and insight and applied them to the Asian financial markets as an expert analyst, commentator, and participant. His work and research focuses on monetary policy, trade policy, and the development of the banking and financial markets in China.

Pettis is the author of The Volatility Machine: Emerging Economics and the Threat of Financial Collapse. The book is a classic examination of the causes of financial crises in emerging-market countries and is critical reading for investors, businesspeople and anyone else interested in understanding where the international economy is going.

An entrepreneur and music lover, Pettis is a force in the Beijing indie-music scene as a club owner, talent manager representing local bands, and record label owner.

More stories by this author here.

Email: stevenschwankert@thebeijinger.com
Twitter: @greatwriteshark
Weibo:​ @SinoScuba潜水
 

Photo: Mitchell Pe Masilun/the Beijinger