The influential economist spent more than 18 years heading the US central bank.

Alan Greenspan, Former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, speaks on the current and future state of the US economy at the Economic Policy Conference hosted by the National Association for Business Economics in Arlington, Virginia, on February 24, 2014. Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP

Alan Greenspan, the US Federal Reserve chief who served four presidents and was hailed as the architect of the modern American economy, died Monday at age 100.

The influential economist spent more than 18 years heading the US central bank, overseeing unprecedented economic growth, but he was later criticised for fostering conditions that led to the 2008 global crisis.

“Under his leadership, the Federal Reserve achieved a sustained era of price stability that supported economic growth and helped anchor the public’s confidence in the institution,” the central bank said in a statement