By: Rainer Zitelmann

Dr Rainer Zitelmann is a German historian, sociologist and author. His latest book is "The Origins of Poverty and Wealth" https://origins-poverty-wealth.com/

All 72 Articles

The evidence is conclusive: rent controls always fail

Opinion

International studies prove that rent controls frequently backfire by reducing residential mobility, discouraging new construction, and driving up unregulated rents, demonstrating that deregulation is more effective than intervention, says Rainer Zitelmann Rising rents and housing shortages are an issue in many countries. Politicians respond with numerous measures, such as rent controls. However, these often lead [...]
JD Vance is completely wrong about Indian tech workers

Opinion

JD Vance has criticised American tech companies for employing Indians, but these highly skilled and law-abiding workers prove not all immigration is equal, says Rainer Zitelmann The Indian government has strongly condemned remarks by US Vice President JD Vance as “deeply offensive”. Vance described foreign workers employed by American software companies, including many Indians, as [...]
We reached Mars 50 years ago, why haven’t we sent people?

Opinion

Viking 1 landed on Mars 50 years ago, so why haven’t we sent people there? Because there are no property rights in space, says Rainer Zitelmann Today marks the 50th anniversary of one of the greatest achievements in the history of space exploration. On July 20, 1976, NASA’s Viking 1 became the first spacecraft to [...]

Don’t ask SpaceX for projections, reach for the stars

June 12, 2026

Elon Musk can’t provide concrete figures showing how much money SpaceX will make from space tourism or asteroid mining because his horizons are lightyears away, says Rainer Zitelmann In 1949, 20 years before the first moon landing, the world-famous American science fiction author Robert A. Heinlein wrote the short story The Man Who Sold the [...]
SpaceX IPO prospectus is notably vague on Musk’s long-term ambitions

May 22, 2026

SpaceX's IPO prospectus is 377 pages long, yet vague around Musk's long-term ambitions for space tourism, asteroid mining and real estate.
How SpaceX could become the most valuable company in the universe

May 21, 2026

Elon Musk’s plans to colonise Mars may sound far-fetched, but he has already achieved most of what he set to do. But in order to make science fiction a reality, we need to make sure companies are rewarded for taking risks in space, says Rainer Zitelmann SpaceX is aiming to go public in June setting [...]
Why democracy needs the rich

May 7, 2026

A new book argues that, in a democracy, an intellectual class that holds homogeneous, anti-capitalist views demands a counterweight of the wealthy contributing to politics, says Rainer Zitelmann In 2021 and 2022, a representative survey on attitudes toward the market economy and capitalism was conducted in 34 countries. Among other things, respondents were presented with [...]
Ukraine is turning West in its economic thinking

April 1, 2026

Ukraine and Russia once shared a Soviet system but are now moving in opposite directions. One is becoming more aligned with the economic values of Western democracies; the other remains rooted in a tradition of state control, says Rainer Zitelmann A quiet but consequential shift is underway in Eastern Europe. While geopolitical attention has focused [...]
Free speech is under threat in Germany

March 13, 2026

Historian and City AM columnist Rainer Zitelmann finds himself in the crossfire of Germany’s free-speech debate I will turn 69 in June, and it is the first time in my life that I have come into conflict with the law. At the beginning of February I received a letter from the Berlin police: “Written statement [...]
Trump’s tariffs are unconstitutional and his figures are pure fantasy

February 23, 2026

Donald Trump claims to have secured $18 trillion in ‘investment’ thanks to tariffs, but much of this is just purchasing, R&D or hiring, says Rainer Zitelmann Tariffs are the central pillar of Donald Trump’s economic policy. Yet it was precisely in this area that he violated the US Constitution. This was not determined by leftwing [...]

Nandy flags downsides of closer EU relations

Women’s football doesn’t need to become men’s football to succeed

The Capitalist: City AM reporter gets royal trashing by AI slop

By: Rainer Zitelmann

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