The World Bank’s embattled chief steps down
David Malpass’s record is better than his many critics will credit
David Malpass’s presidency of the World Bank started and ended in controversy. When Donald Trump picked the former investment-bank economist and Treasury official in 2019, Mr Malpass was seen as someone who did not believe in multilateralism and might sabotage the bank. On February 15th, when he announced his intention to resign in June, he was dogged by comments in which he appeared to question climate change—a major focus for the lender. Between these dark clouds, though, Mr Malpass was a surprisingly effective leader. He helped stabilise a drifting institution and presided over a big expansion in its lending operations.
This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline “Not a scientist”
Finance & economics February 18th 2023
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