Javier Milei facts for kids
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Javier Milei
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Milei in 2025
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| 59th President of Argentina | |
| Assumed office 10 December 2023 |
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| Vice President | Victoria Villarruel |
| Preceded by | Alberto Fernández |
| President pro tempore of Mercosur | |
| In office 6 December 2024 – 3 July 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Luis Lacalle Pou |
| Succeeded by | Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva |
| Honorary President of the Libertarian Party | |
| Assumed office 23 May 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Office established |
| National Deputy | |
| In office 10 December 2021 – 29 November 2023 |
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| Constituency | City of Buenos Aires |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Javier Gerardo Milei
22 October 1970 Palermo, Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Citizenship |
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| Political party | Parties: Libertarian Party (2019–2024) La Libertad Avanza (since 2024) |
| Other political affiliations |
Coalitions:
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| Domestic partners | Daniela Mori (2018–2019) Lilia Lemoine (2020–2021) Fátima Flórez (2023–2024) Yuyito González (2024–2025) |
| Relatives | Karina Milei (sister) |
| Residence | Quinta presidencial de Olivos |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation |
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| School or tradition | Austrian school |
| Signature |  |
Javier Gerardo Milei (born October 22, 1970) is an Argentine politician and economist. He became the President of Argentina on December 10, 2023. Before becoming president, he was a national deputy, which is like a member of congress, for the city of Buenos Aires.
Milei is known for his big personality and his strong media presence. He became famous for his ideas about changing Argentina's economy. He supports laissez-faire economics, which means he believes the government should interfere very little in the economy. Politically, he is described as a right-wing libertarian and a right-wing populist.
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Early Life and School
Javier Gerardo Milei was born in Palermo, Buenos Aires. His father, Norberto, was a bus driver who later owned a bus company, and his mother, Alicia, was a homemaker. His family has Italian and Croatian roots.
Milei has said he had a difficult childhood and was not close with his parents. He was supported by his younger sister, Karina Milei, whom he calls "the boss" and who is his closest advisor.
He went to Catholic schools, where he got the nickname el Loco ("the Madman") because of his passionate speeches and arguments. As a teenager, he was the singer in a rock band called Everest that played songs by The Rolling Stones. He was also a talented goalkeeper for the Chacarita Juniors football team. He decided to study economics after seeing the effects of hyperinflation (when prices rise extremely fast) in Argentina.
He earned a degree in economics from the University of Belgrano and later got two master's degrees.
Career in Economics
For more than 20 years, Milei worked as a professor of economics at universities in Argentina and other countries. He also worked as a top economist for several large companies and as a government advisor.
By the 2010s, he became a well-known figure on television and radio. He was often interviewed about the economy and became famous for his strong criticism of the government and other politicians. He hosted his own radio show called Demoliendo mitos (Demolishing Myths).
Start of His Political Career
Milei's television appearances made him very popular, especially with younger people. He used strong language to criticize what he called the "political caste," a group of politicians he said were only interested in their own power and wealth.
In 2021, he ran for a seat in the Argentine Chamber of Deputies with his new political coalition, La Libertad Avanza (Freedom Advances). His slogan was "I didn't come here to lead lambs, but to awaken lions." He was elected, representing the City of Buenos Aires.
As a deputy, he kept a campaign promise by raffling off his government salary every month. He said he was returning money that the "political caste stole" from the people.
2023 Presidential Election
Milei ran for president in 2023. His running mate was Victoria Villarruel. His sister, Karina, was his campaign manager. At the time, Argentina was facing very high inflation, and many people were unhappy with the government.
His campaign was known for its dramatic style. He would often appear on stage with a chainsaw, which he said was a symbol for his plan to cut government spending.
In a surprise result, he won the most votes in the primary election in August 2023. In the final election on November 19, 2023, he defeated the other candidate, Sergio Massa, with over 55% of the vote. It was the largest victory margin in an Argentine presidential election since the country returned to democracy.
Presidency (2023–Present)
Milei took office on December 10, 2023. In his first speech, he warned that he would have to make difficult economic changes, which he called "shock therapy," to fix the country's problems. One of his first actions was to reduce the number of government ministries from 18 to 9.
Economic Changes
Milei's main goal was to stop hyperinflation and fix the economy. His government introduced many new policies:
- Austerity: The government cut spending deeply. This included laying off thousands of government employees and cutting funding for various programs.
- Deregulation: He signed a large decree to remove many rules and regulations on the economy, including getting rid of rent controls. This led to more apartments becoming available for rent.
- Inflation: Inflation was extremely high when he took office, reaching a peak of 300% in May 2024. His policies helped to slow it down, and by early 2025, the monthly inflation rate was the lowest it had been in years.
- Poverty: The tough economic changes caused poverty to increase at first, affecting more than half the population. However, as the economy began to stabilize in late 2024, poverty rates started to decrease.
Foreign Policy
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Milei changed Argentina's foreign policy to build closer ties with the United States and Israel. He strongly supported Ukraine in its war against Russia.
He has been a critic of leftist governments in Latin America, such as those in Venezuela and Cuba. He has friendly relationships with other right-wing leaders like former U.S. President Donald Trump and former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.
In December 2024, Argentina helped finalize a free trade agreement between the Mercosur trade bloc and the European Union.
Political Views
Milei calls himself a "libertarian." This means he believes in personal freedom, free markets, and a very small government. He thinks the government should only focus on security and justice.
- Economy: He is a strong supporter of capitalism and a critic of socialism. He believes that high government spending and taxes are the main causes of Argentina's economic problems.
- Social Issues: He has conservative views on many social issues. He supports the right of citizens to own firearms.
- Falkland Islands: He has said he wants to use dialogue and peaceful means to discuss the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands with the United Kingdom.
Personal Life
Milei is not married. His sister, Karina, serves as the General Secretary of the Presidency, one of the most important roles in his government.
He was raised Catholic but has become very interested in Judaism. He reads the Torah every day and has considered converting.
Milei is famous for his five English Mastiff dogs. They are all clones of his first dog, Conan, who died in 2017. He calls the dogs his "four-legged children" and has named them after famous economists like Milton Friedman and Murray Rothbard.
He is a big fan of the rock band The Rolling Stones and the football club Boca Juniors. In December 2024, he was granted Italian citizenship because of his Italian ancestors.
Images for kids
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Milei with Victoria Villarruel and Spanish politician Santiago Abascal in 2022.
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Map of the first round results in the 2023 presidential election.
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Map of the second round results in the 2023 presidential election.
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Milei with other leaders at the Mercosur Summit in December 2024.
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A chart showing how real rent prices in Buenos Aires fell after rent controls were removed.
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Milei with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in July 2025.
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Milei with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem in February 2024.
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Javier Milei with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele.
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Milei with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Buenos Aires, December 2023.
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Milei with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in June 2025.
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See also
In Spanish: Javier Milei para niños
