Alex Mayyasi

Alex Mayyasi is a longtime contributor to Planet Money and the author of Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life (April 2026). Previously he was the founding editor of Gastro Obscura, which earned two James Beard Awards and published a bestselling travel book, and a writer and editor at Priceonomics.

His writing on business and economics has appeared in publications such as Smithsonian, the Washington Post, and The Atlantic. Mayyasi also consults for the University of Chicago economics department. He's the co-author of You Are Under Arrest for Masterminding the Egyptian Revolution (a Memoir). His website is https://www.alexmayyasi.com/