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Alan Greenspan is not dead despite an internet death hoax that got wings on Twitter on Tuesday. Several people started tweeting “Alan Greenspan RIP” on Tuesday morning, but Greenspan’s wife confirmed that her husband did not die.
Shortly after Greenspan’s name started trending on Twitter, his wife Andrea Mitchell posted a message, debunking the rumors (and getting a plug for his new book in as well).
“By now you know the rumors are a hoax. Alan’s doing great. In fact, he has a new book out next week,” Mitchell tweeted.
Several people have since retracted their RIP tweets.
“I am reading tweets that the report of Alan Greenspan’s death are false. I posted a tweet (see thread) indicating he died. If he is alive, this isn’t the first time I have posted an erroneous tweet. I apologize and I will follow this story to get confirmation either way,” read a tweet from author Jeffrey Guterman, who previously tweeted an RIP message.
This isn’t the first time that Greenspan was rumored to be dead. Back in 2000, there were reports that he had died in a car crash.
“These rumors are not true. There has been no traffic accident. The chairman is attending a board of directors meeting at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago where he has been since early this morning – and he is fine,” said Fed spokesman Bob Moore at the time.
In 2017, another death hoax involving Greenspan surfaced.
Greenspan served as Chair of the Federal Reserve of the United States from 1987 to 2006. He is 92 years old.
It’s unknown why the internet is so intent on these hoaxes or why Greenspan is constantly rumored to be dead. Of course, he’s not the only person who has fallen victim to Twitter’s false RIP parade. Actors Jackie Chan and Morgan Freeman have found themselves in the same boat numerous times.