Ira Magaziner
Ira Magaziner | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 8, 1947 United States |
| Occupation(s) | Consultant, policy advisor |
| Years active | 1973–present |
| Known for | Chief advisor on healthcare policy to President Bill Clinton; CEO and vice chairman of Clinton Health Access Initiative |
Ira Magaziner (born November 8, 1947) is an American consultant and former senior policy advisor to President Bill Clinton, most notably serving as the chief advisor on healthcare policy. He currently directs programs at the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation that address global health and environmental issues.
Student activism
During his time at Brown University, Magaziner played a key role in creating the "New Curriculum", which removed general education requirements outside students' majors. He graduated as valedictorian in 1969. As president of the Undergraduate Council of Students, he supported the 1968 black student protest and negotiated conditions for their return. His valedictory speech was featured in a 1969 Life magazine special on student leaders alongside Hillary Rodham.
A Rhodes Scholar, Magaziner pursued studies in political philosophy and economics under Isaiah Berlin at Oxford's Balliol College, where he first met Bill Clinton. He left Oxford after two years to organize protests against the Vietnam War, working with activists such as Vanessa Redgrave.
Following Oxford, Magaziner and several former Brown colleagues focused on social democratic reforms in Brockton, Massachusetts—initiating an agricultural cooperative, supporting progressive city council candidates, strengthening labor unions, and publishing a left-leaning newspaper. Observing the challenges posed by foreign competition to local manufacturing, he shifted his attention toward acquiring business skills to facilitate broader economic reforms.
Business consulting
Between 1973 and 1979, Magaziner was employed by the Boston Consulting Group across their Boston, London, and Tokyo offices. In 1979, he established Telesis, which he sold to Towers Perrin Inc. in 1986; subsequently, he led Towers Perrin’s U.S. strategy division until 1989. His portfolio included clients such as General Electric, Corning Glass, the governments of Ireland and Sweden, as well as various high-technology manufacturing and healthcare firms.
In Rhode Island, Magaziner partnered with Governor J. Joseph Garrahy on the "Greenhouse Compact," an economic development plan aimed at tackling major state economic issues by fostering business incubators and increasing exports. Although initially backed by lawmakers and business stakeholders, the initiative was ultimately rejected by public referendum. Magaziner and his family remain supporters of Democratic candidates and community organizations like the Rhode Island Food Bank.
He authored two books centered on business strategy and industrial policy: Minding America's Business (co-written with future Secretary of Labor Robert Reich) advocated for U.S. industrial reforms focusing on eliminating subsidies to inefficient sectors while encouraging growth in industries where the U.S. holds cost advantages; The Silent War (co-authored with Mark Patinkin) examines global business competition alongside Magaziner’s experiences with international corporate strategies.
The Clinton years
Magaziner is primarily recognized for co-chairing the early Clinton administration’s Task Force to Reform Health Care with Hillary Clinton. The initiative aimed to implement managed competition within health insurance markets and establish community-rated pools to lower expenses for small businesses and uninsured individuals but encountered criticism due to its complexity. The pharmaceutical and insurance sectors mounted vigorous opposition campaigns, including the well-known "Harry and Louise" advertisements. Magaziner’s restrained public engagement and confrontational leadership style attracted internal criticism for hindering consensus-building efforts.
Deputy Treasury Secretary Brad DeLong attributed some of Magaziner’s challenges to his background in consulting, emphasizing that effective policy formulation requires coalition-building rather than the adversarial tactics common in management consulting.
In 1997, Magaziner was ordered to pay $285,864 to the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons over alleged concealment related to Task Force document disclosures; however, he was exonerated when the U.S. Court of Appeals unanimously overturned the penalty in 1999.
Continuing his role within the administration, Magaziner contributed to developing an E-Commerce policy initiative alongside OSTP staff and industry experts that helped establish the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, transitioning internet administrative responsibilities previously managed by US DARPA.
Clinton Health Access Initiative
Since 2002, Magaziner has held the positions of CEO and vice chairman at the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), an organization dedicated to enhancing the availability of vital medicines and healthcare services in low- and middle-income nations.
Personal life
Magaziner lives in Bristol, Rhode Island with his spouse Suzanne. They are parents to three children: Seth, Jonathan, and Sarah. In 2014, Seth Magaziner was elected as Rhode Island's General Treasurer and later declared his candidacy for governor in 2021, emphasizing issues such as women's rights, renewable energy, gun violence prevention, fiscal management, pandemic preparedness, and education. He secured a seat in Congress in 2022 as the representative for Rhode Island's 2nd congressional district.
Magaziner has been associated with Jeffrey Epstein through several flights aboard Epstein’s private jets, and his contact details were found in Epstein’s "black book."