Javier Milei bio, net worth, age, dogs, sister, controversies, family, quotes 2024

Javier Milei's Biography

The flamboyant Argentine politician Javier Milei became famous in his homeland as the "chainsaw economist", "madman", "the wig", "mini-Trump". After dedicating more than 20 years to economics and teaching, he burst onto the political scene in the 2010s, immediately attracting attention with his categorical statements.

The libertarian politician was not afraid to make unpopular proposals and bravely defended his opinion. Javier insisted on strengthening Argentina's ties with the US and Israel instead of Russia, China, and Brazil, legalizing weapons and organ trade, while denying women's right to abortion and the existence of global warming problem. He argued that support for the local currency should be stopped and a transition to the stable US dollar should be made.

In high politics, he was not taken seriously. And in vain - being an outsider, in 2023 Milei easily won first the primary, and then the second round of the presidential elections, becoming the president of Argentina, the first libertarian head of state in world history. In his new position, the politician immediately began to implement quite controversial reforms.

Early Years

Javier Miley was born on October 22, 1970, in Buenos Aires, in the Palermo district. His father was a bus driver and his mother was a homemaker. The family had Italian roots. Later, Javier's father managed to start his own transportation business.

Javier had a difficult relationship with his parents. The family experienced domestic violence, and he quietly endured not only insults but also physical abuse. Therefore, as an adult, he temporarily cut off communication with his mother and father. Despite this, Javier was always close to his younger sister Karina.

Javier Miley with his sister in childhood

Miley's temper and aggressiveness became apparent in school, earning him the nickname el Loco (The Madman). Alongside school, Javier was a member of the "Chacarita Juniors" football club, where he served as a goalkeeper.

He was also fond of rock music, collecting records by The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and Queen at home. Miley himself sang in the band Everest, which mainly performed covers of The Rolling Stones.

Javier Miley with his parents and sister

In 1989, Javier abruptly shifted his focus to economics. In conversations with teachers, he emphasized that he would pursue a career in finance to correct the consequences of the actions of Economy Minister Jose Alfredo Martínez de Hoz, who led Argentina to hyperinflation.

Academic Career

By the late 90s, Javier Milei already had an economics degree from the University of Belgrano, along with two master's degrees from the Institute of Economic and Social Development and the Torcuato Di Tella University. He chose an academic career: for nearly the next 20 years, Javier spent his time teaching macroeconomics, growth economics, and microeconomics at universities.

He was invited to give lectures not only at Argentina's leading educational institutions but also at foreign universities. Milei participated in thematic conferences and wrote over 50 academic papers. Javier managed to combine such a busy academic schedule with a successful career in major corporations.

Other Achievements

In the early 2000s, he became the chief economist at a private pension company, then at a financial consultancy firm. Later, Miley also worked as a consultant at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes.

For the next 15 years, Javier devoted his life to the position of chief economist and financial advisor in a private company owned by billionaire Eduardo Eurnekian.

In 2012, Javier headed the department of economic research at the national analytical center. He was also a member of the International Chamber of Commerce's economic policy group (G20 advisor).

Javier Miley at the Economic Forum (2014)

Miley gained fame thanks to his frequent comments to the media. As a guest expert, he openly criticized the policies of the Argentine authorities. His radical views and eccentric behavior on TV, particularly his calls to fight politicians accompanied by foul language, were popular with viewers. The ratings of the shows grew, and the economist was increasingly invited to television.

In 2017, Miley launched his own radio project "Demolishing Myths," and a few years later, he became the host of the program "Free Lectern."

Political Career

In 2019, Javier became a member of the Libertarian Party. In 2021, he founded the coalition Freedom Advances (Avanza Libertad) and was elected from it as a deputy of the National Congress of Argentina. The expressive politician gained support among voters because he raffled off his parliamentary salary among the country's residents. Javier promised those who voted for him that he would never vote for either a tax increase or the introduction of new ones.

Javier Miley at the congressional elections (2019)

In 2022, Miley put forward his candidacy for the presidential election. The politician's election campaign was built on criticizing the Argentine government, in particular, the head of state Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, whom he accused of squandering the budget.

At one of the rallies in 2023, Javier appeared with a chainsaw in his hands, as if demonstrating how exactly he would deal with Kirchner's administration. For this, he was nicknamed "the economist with a chainsaw".

Views

Miley holds quite radical views. For example, he suggested a three-step solution to one of Argentina's most significant problems - inflation: abolish the Central Bank, stop printing money, and switch to the American dollar and bitcoin.

The Central Bank is the biggest thieves in human history. And the national currency is in no demand, so its price is zero.

Miley sees another problem in Argentina's tax burden. He advocates for a reduction in government spending, which he planned to achieve by cutting half of the ministries, including those responsible for education and healthcare.

Javier believes it is necessary to introduce free carrying of weapons and legalize drugs, as well as allow the sale of human organs.

He is skeptical about the feminist agenda and the role of humans in climate change, denying the very existence of global warming.

Miley advocates for the prohibition of abortions, which were officially legalized in Argentina in 2020. In his words, abortion should be viewed as a property conflict, based on the right of ownership.

Javier Milei and the Chainsaw

The politician openly criticized Pope Francis, also a native of Argentina. Miley called the pontiff a "propagandist of communism" and a "messenger of Satan", for which he later had to publicly apologize.

"If you are so passionate about social justice, why don't you start distributing the wealth of the Vatican to the poor," Javier addressed the pontiff through social networks in 2017.

Yet, the politician admired Donald Trump, supporting his slogan "Make America Great Again" and intending to follow his example in relation to his own country.

Milei on Dollarization, Central Bank, China

In his work, Javier tried to focus on the president of Argentina from 1989 to 1999, Carlos Menem, and supported the Austrian school of economic thought.

Miley described himself as a 'short-term monarchist', a 'liberal-libertarian', as well as a 'philosophical anarcho-capitalist'.

The politician put his signature under the Madrid Charter. This document was composed by the Spanish party "Vox". It described all leftist groups as "enemies of Ibero-America, who took part in the crime conducted by the representatives of the Cuban regime".

Javier saw Argentina's main allies in the face of the United States and Israel. He even once stated that he would be willing to convert to Judaism, but was not ready to spend every Saturday in peace. However, Miley called China a "murderous" country and insulted the president of Brazil, describing him as a "corrupt communist".

Javier Miley at the VIVA Festival (2022)

Personal Life of Javier Milei

In some interviews, Milei stated that he had experience working as a tantric sex coach in his career. Additionally, he openly discussed how he could abstain from any intimacy for many months. The politician also repeatedly participated in group sex, which he detailed candidly.

Milei didn't have any serious romantic relationships, as he explained, due to a "lack of time for dating." Furthermore, he doesn't have any close friends.

Nevertheless, it is known that he dated singer Daniela Mori. In early December 2022, Javier met actress Fatima Flores on a TV program. The comedienne gained fame with her accurate parodies, including that of the country's president, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner.

A few months later, the couple's romance became known. However, in his interviews, Milei claimed that if he won the election, his younger sister Karina, with whom he is very close, would definitely become the first lady of Argentina. She, incidentally, managed his presidential campaign.

Javier is much more eager to talk about his pets. In 2004, the politician got an English Mastiff and named it Conan after the main character of the movie "Conan the Barbarian." Milei admitted that the pet became his greatest love and son. Conan passed away in 2017.

Javier was heartbroken and sought help from a medium to communicate with his pet. Allegedly during this session, Conan advised his owner to run for president of Argentina.

In 2018, Milei spent around 50,000 dollars to have his deceased dog cloned. Five puppies were born. The politician named them after economists Milton Friedman, Robert Lucas, and Murray Rothbard - Robert, Milton, Lucas, and Murray. Another dog became Conan.

They say that dogs determine my strategies, right? This is the best strategic committee in the world. Tell me, when has an outsider achieved what we've achieved in two years? So, these are the best political analysts in the world.

Javier Miley Now

In the 2023 presidential elections, Javier ran for the "Freedom is Coming" coalition. He was not taken seriously and was considered an outsider, but in the first round, which took place in August 2023, he won, gaining 29.86% of the votes.

In the second round, Miley competed with the Minister of Economy and Peronist, Sergio Massa. The elections, held on November 19, 2023, ended with Miley's victory - he received 56% of the votes. The politician took office as President of Argentina on December 10. Former US President Donald Trump did not stand aside and congratulated his good friend on such a result, stating that he was filled with pride for the new Argentine leader.

Javier Miley Celebrates Election Victory

The newly elected president did not delay with reforms. Already on December 12, a devaluation of the peso to the dollar by 50% was announced, along with a sharp reduction in state subsidies for energy and transport. In addition, gasoline prices skyrocketed and free travel on public transport was canceled.

On December 21, Miley signed a decree on more than 300 reforms to liberalize the country's economy. Among them - liberalization of exports, privatization, refusal to regulate prices. Argentines dissatisfied with his policy took to the streets for rallies and pickets.

On December 23, the president initiated mass layoffs of officials. 23,000 people who were hired from January 1, 2023, lost their jobs. In his address to the nation, Miley stated that the country's economy would first face hard times, which would then be replaced by rapid growth. He promised to make Argentina a great power within 35 years.

Interesting Facts

During his inauguration, Miley showed a presidential scepter from the stage with images of his five favorite dogs.

In 2023, a biography of Miley was published, using his nickname El Loco ("The Madman") as the title.

Moreover, the politician has another nickname - El Peluca ("The Wig"). This is related to his unusual thick hair and bushy sideburns. His hairstyle was described in The Wall Street Journal as something in-between a "sheepdog and Ozzy Osbourne."

Kerrie Steele Journalist