Paul Blustein has written about economic issues for more than forty years, first as a reporter at leading news organizations and later as the author of several critically acclaimed books. His latest book, published by Yale University Press in March 2025, is King Dollar: The Past and Future of the World's Dominant Currency.

A graduate of the University of Wisconsin and Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar, Paul spent much of his career reporting for The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. His work has won several prizes, including business journalism’s most prestigious, the Gerald Loeb Award. Articles he has written in recent years have been published by Fortune, The Financial Times, Slate, Politico, Foreign Policy, and other media outlets. His reporting and research have taken him to more than 50 countries on six continents.

Following publication of King Dollar, Paul has become more active in public speaking and has spoken on topics related to the book--dollar dominance, dollar weaponization, cryptocurrency etc.--at a number of conferences and other events around the world including the US, UK, Korea, Dubai, Hong Kong, and Kuala Lumpur. For details, including how to inquire about his availability for future events, see the "speaking, lecturing" page.

Paul lives in Kamakura, Japan with his wife, Yoshie Sakai, and continues to work on books and other projects as a senior associate (non-resident) with the Economics Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC. He is a father of four, grandfather of two, and he dedicated King Dollar as follows: "To my grandchildren, whom I will always love unconditionally, even if they grow up to like crypto."

NEWLY PUBLISHED

Yale University Press

Paperback edition, with new preface, published April 14, 2026

"[An] excellent book, by one of the world's leading economic journalists and authors"--Martin Wolf, in the Financial Times list of "Best Summer Books of 2025: Economics"

 

"Magisterial"--Reuters

 

"Paul Blustein paints [the dollar's] picture with clarity and precision in his excellent new book."--Foreign Policy

 

"Blustein, as usual, presents a crisp, thoroughly researched and highly readable narrative."--Bloomberg

 

"Masterful...accessible enough for any economist or citizen interested in understanding current debates on the role of the dollar...But it is rich enough in detail that even specialists with intimate knowledge of the workings of international finance will find something in its pages." --Journal of Economic Literature

RECENTLY PUBLISHED

"Excellent.…A fascinating, detailed account of the history of tensions in America's trade relationship with China."

--The Economist

"A wonderful journalistic job...a very important book on a very important subject."

--Martin Wolf's "economics reading list" in the Financial Times

l Time

PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED

"Paul Blustein has achieved the improbable. He has written a riveting thriller about the International Monetary Fund. Even more improbable is that it is not a work of fiction."

--Financial Times

"Gripping, often frightening...should be read by anyone wanting to understand, from the inside, how the international financial system really works."

--The Economist

"An absorbing tale of hope, folly, and betrayal [and] an authoritative account of [Argentina's] unraveling."

--The Los Angeles Times

"A shimmering, essential read for those seeking a deeper and more nuanced perspective on the modern commerce of nations." --The Washington Post

“Using confidential documents, interviews and financial forensics, Mr. Blustein reveals — in often unflattering detail — the efforts of the world’s financial leaders as they scramble to repair the badly-broken global economy.” -- The Wall Street Journal

"Authoritative and detailed....Blustein marshals impressive research." --Foreign Affairs