Matt Ridley

Matt Ridley is a distinguished science writer, journalist, and businessman, recognized for his insightful contributions to scientific, environmental, and economic discourse. After earning his Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1983, Matt Ridley joined The Economist in 1984. He served as science editor until 1987, then as a Washington, D.C. correspondent from 1987 to 1989, and as the American editor from 1990 to 1992.

In 2012, Ridley received the Julian L. Simon award and was elected a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2013. He has maintained a consistent journalistic presence with a weekly column for The Times since 2013, covering science, environment, and economics. His succession as the 5th Viscount Ridley in 2012 led to his election as a hereditary peer in the House of Lords in 2013, serving until 2021.

He published ‘The Evolution of Everything: How Ideas Emerge’ in 2015, the same year his team won the University Challenge celebrity Christmas special. In 2014, he received the free enterprise award from the Institute of Economic Affairs, and in 2017, his article on resource depletion was featured in BBC Focus magazine. Most recently, Ridley authored ‘How Innovation Works: And Why It Flourishes in Freedom’ (2020) and co-authored ‘Viral: The Search for the Origin of COVID-19’ with Alina Chan (2021). His acclaimed publications, journalism, and public engagements consistently provide profound insights into scientific, environmental, and economic discourse.