“When I first met Abhijit Banerjee as a first-year student, I found him unbelievably inspiring. He was kind and a bit aloof, but I knew crossing his path had changed my life. Little did I know that many, many years later, I would not only become a colleague, but also, eventually, a life partner…”
With these heartfelt words, Esther Duflo once reflected on her first encounter with Abhijit Banerjee — a meeting that would shape both her personal and professional journey.
Years after that first impression, Duflo and Banerjee became collaborators, partners in life, and ultimately co-recipients of one of the world’s highest honors in economics. Together, they were awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences, becoming the fifth married couple in history to jointly receive a Nobel Prize (or the Prize in Economic Sciences).
On December 10, 2019, at the prestigious Stockholm Concert Hall, the couple stood side by side as they received their prize diplomas and medals — a symbolic moment marking years of research dedicated to alleviating global poverty.
Their shared work has transformed development economics, emphasizing field experiments and evidence-based policy solutions to address poverty worldwide. Beyond academic achievement, their story represents something equally powerful: intellectual partnership grounded in mutual respect, admiration, and shared purpose.
Duflo’s reflection captures both the human and historic dimensions of their journey — from a chance meeting between a student and a professor to a life built together in scholarship, family, and global impact.
They are also proud parents to two children, Noémie and Milan — a reminder that even at the highest levels of academic recognition, life’s greatest achievements often remain deeply personal.
