The World Bank’s embattled chief steps down

David Malpass’s record is better than his many critics will credit

World Bank Group President David Malpass holds a press briefing during the IMF and the World Bank Group annual meeting at the IMF headquarters in Washington, DC, on October 13, 2022. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images) — Image: Getty Images

Feb 16th 2023|Washington, DC

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”