# Megan McArdle

> Megan McArdle is a Washington Post opinion columnist who writes at the seam where economics, business and public policy meet. She was blogging as 'Jane Galt' from a desk near Ground Zero before most journalists knew what a blog was, parlaying an English-lit degree and a Chicago MBA into a career that ran through The Economist, The Atlantic, Newsweek/Daily Beast and Bloomberg View. A self-described right-leaning libertarian known for steelmanning the other side, she wrote 'The Up Side of Down,' a book arguing that failing well is the real engine of success. In 2025 she added a contributing-writer role at The Dispatch and turned to podcasting with 'Central Air' and 'Reasonably Optimistic.'

- **Role:** Opinion columnist at The Washington Post
- **Organizations:** The Washington Post, The Dispatch, Central Air (podcast)
- **From:** New York City, USA
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** High school, Riverdale Country School, B.A. in English Literature, University of Pennsylvania, MBA, University of Chicago Booth School of Business
- **Known for:** Author of 'The Up Side of Down: Why Failing Well Is the Key to Success' (2014), Pioneering political and economics blogger, called 'the original blogger-turned-MSM journo', Named among the most influential right-leaning bloggers by David Brooks

## Career timeline

- **2001** — Started the blog 'Live from the WTC' under the pen name 'Jane Galt' while working near Ground Zero
- **2002** — Renamed the blog 'Asymmetrical Information'
- **2003** — Hired by The Economist to write for its website
- **2006** — Founded The Economist's 'Free Exchange' blog
- **2007** — Joined The Atlantic as a full-time blogger in Washington, D.C.
- **2010** — Served as The Atlantic's business and economics editor
- **2012** — Moved to Newsweek/The Daily Beast
- **2013** — Joined Bloomberg View as a columnist
- **2014** — Published 'The Up Side of Down: Why Failing Well Is the Key to Success'
- **2018** — Became an opinion columnist at The Washington Post
- **2025** — Added contributing-writer role at The Dispatch; launched the 'Central Air' podcast and a Washington Post podcast 'Reasonably Optimistic'

## Achievements

- Author of 'The Up Side of Down: Why Failing Well Is the Key to Success' (2014)
- Pioneering political and economics blogger, called 'the original blogger-turned-MSM journo'
- Named among the most influential right-leaning bloggers by David Brooks
- Founded The Economist's 'Free Exchange' economics blog
- Bernard L. Schwartz Fellow at the New America Foundation
- Coined 'Jane's Law' on the psychology of political partisanship

## Latest updates

- **2025-01** — Became a contributing writer at The Dispatch while remaining a Washington Post columnist
- **2025-01** — Launched 'Central Air,' a weekly center-politics podcast co-hosted with Josh Barro and Ben Dreyfuss
- **2025-01** — Began hosting a Washington Post podcast, 'Reasonably Optimistic'

## Links

- Website: https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/megan-mcardle/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/asymmetricinfo
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meganjmcardle/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/megan-mcardle
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-02