“They don’t care” — Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary shares the difficulties of Fed Chairman’s job

Kevin O
Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary Testifies On China's Financial Aggression In Joint Senate & House Hearing - Source: Getty

Without holding back when discussing the reality of power, Shark Tank expert Kevin O'Leary said that the Federal Reserve chair has the most difficult job in the American economy. In a recent Instagram post, the OG investor described how the Fed is under pressure from all administrations, regardless of party, to comply with its demands. The Fed's independence, though, cannot be compromised.

O'Leary delves deeply into the ongoing impasse between the executive branch and the Fed. Despite calls from lawmakers to lower interest rates, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell is standing his ground. A strategic halt, according to O'Leary, is an economic impasse linked to international politics, including the unresolved trade issues with China. He believes that in order to prevent another increase in inflation, the Fed is delaying cuts until global conditions improve.

The major finding of O'Leary's observation is that the Fed does not obey political directives.

"I got to be honest with you. They don't care what the President says. They never have," the Shark Tank panelist said.

Their dual mandate, balancing employment and inflation, remains their compass in the face of increasing strain. Powell believes that this entails holding off on lowering interest rates until the appropriate economic signals, rather than political agendas, justify it.


Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary talks about the Federal Reserve chair's job

Kevin O'Leary reckons the head of the Federal Reserve is the hardest job when it comes to making important economic decisions. The Fed Chair was under tremendous political and economic pressure, as the Shark Tank investor revealed in a recent reel. O'Leary stressed that the Fed is still dedicated to its autonomous mission, balancing inflation and employment without caving in to political pressures, despite persistent opposition from different administrations.

Kevin O'Leary draws attention to the tremendous strain that comes with serving as the Federal Reserve's chair. Although the Fed is an autonomous organization, each administration attempts to influence its choices. The Fed's dual duty to control inflation and employment makes its function not only crucial but also continuously scrutinized:

"The toughest job in the economy is chair of the Fed. They get beaten up by every administration.." Shark Tank OG added, "Every president, every executive office has always gone to the Fed and said, do what I say. And the Fed being independent says, well, wait a second. We have a dual mandate, got employment, got inflation."

According to O'Leary's interpretation of Jerome Powell's present position, the Fed is delaying interest rate cuts until geopolitical risks, such as trade conflicts with China, are resolved. The logic is straightforward: inflationary risks continue to be significant in the absence of improvement.

"He's saying, I'm not going to cut rates until you cut the deal with China. Because if we don't get anything out of there for six months, we're going to have inflation. And I don't want to be part of that story."

Kevin concludes by restating the Fed's independence, which is a crucial component of American economic policy. The Federal Reserve determines its own path regardless of how noisy the executive branch gets. Even if the Fed and political leaders engage in communication, the Fed still has the final say over decisions like interest rate decreases.


Watch more videos of Shark Tank investor Kevin O'Leary on his Instagram account.

Edited by Yesha Srivastava