Muhammad Yunus
- Name
- Muhammad Yunus
- Country
- Bangladesh
- Field
- Economics
- Known For
- Father of microfinance; founder of Grameen Bank; Nobel Peace Prize 2006
- Profile
Muhammad Yunus (1940–present)
Muhammad Yunus is the founder of Grameen Bank and is widely regarded as the father of microfinance.
Key Contributions
- Founded Grameen Bank (1983) in Bangladesh — provides small loans (microcredit) to the rural poor, especially women, without collateral.
- Demonstrated that the poor are creditworthy — they repay loans at high rates.
- His model is replicated worldwide, influencing microfinance sectors globally.
Nobel Peace Prize (2006)
- Awarded jointly with Grameen Bank for their efforts to create economic and social development from below.
Social Business
- Pioneered the concept of social business — non-loss, non-dividend businesses designed to solve social problems.