Simon Toussaint

Welcome to my website! I am a PhD candidate at the Utrecht School of Economics, supervised by Coen Teulings and Bas van Bavel. My research focuses on the dynamics of wealth concentration; in particular, I work on reconstructing the long-run accumulation and distribution of wealth in the Netherlands, as well as measuring and interpreting recent trends in top wealth concentration globally. I am a fellow of the World Inequality Database. In spring 2023, I was a visiting PhD student at the London School of Economics's Centre for Macroeconomics, hosted by Maarten de Ridder. 

In addition to my academic work, I actively contribute to policy debates. I am an external researcher at Statistics Netherlands, and have contributed research to a Dutch government report on the wealth distribution. In June 2023, I was one of six young economists discussing their research with ministers Sigrid Kaag (Finance), Micky Adriaansens (Economic Affairs & Climate) and Karien van Gennip (Social Affairs & Employment), in the scenic Catshuis. My research has been covered by national media outlets (e.g., de Volkskrant, AD, Nu.nl, EenVandaag Radio).

You can find my CV here.

For a nice discussion of my research agenda, you can listen to my episode on the Dutch Young Economists Podcast (in Dutch).