John P. Holdren

New Capabilities

Later served as White House Science Advisor under President Obama (2009–2017)

In 1980, biologist Paul Ehrlich—who had warned that hundreds of millions would starve to death in the 1970s—agreed to bet economist Julian Simon on the price of five commodity metals. If inflation-adjusted prices rose over the decade, Ehrlich wins; if they fell, Simon wins.

Updated May 30