Jerome Powell is 73 years old as of October 2026. He was born on 4 February 1953.
Quick facts
Date of birth4 February 1953
Age73
NationalityAmerican
BirthplaceWashington, D.C., United States
Editor's Take:
Powell reached the Fed through law, deal-making and the Treasury. That path, and a reputation as a consensus-builder, helped him win backing from presidents of both parties. As chair he handled the pandemic, the inflation surge and the rate rises that followed. His emergency measures drew praise, yet critics said they widened the gap between markets and ordinary households. His insistence on the Fed's independence under pressure from Donald Trump made him central to a wider argument over political control of interest rates.
Key Milestones
1992: Appointed to a senior Treasury post overseeing domestic finance
2012: Took office on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors
2018: Took over as chair of the Federal Reserve
2020: Rolled out emergency Fed measures to steady markets during the pandemic
2022: Sworn in for a second term as chair
Jerome Hayden "Jay" Powell (born February 4, 1953) is an American central banker who served as a governor of the Federal Reserve. He was the 16th chair of the Federal Reserve from 2018 to 2026.
