Leader Retirement

How leaders spend their retirement might be more important than whether they retire at all.

Takeaway Points

  1. Democratic leaders are much more likely to live out their retirement years safely and in good finances.
  2. In contrast, autocratic leaders are much more likely to be jailed, exiled, or killed.
  3. The autocrat’s life-or-death consequences must affect his decision making, and we should incorporate that in how we think of principal-agent problems.