Lewis Ranieri (American financier)

Lewis Ranieri is an influential American financier known for pioneering the creation of mortgage-backed securities (MBS) in the 1980s. This financial innovation allowed banks to package home loans into investments that could be sold to investors, effectively spreading risk and increasing liquidity in the housing market. Ranieri's work at Salomon Brothers transformed the way mortgages were financed, leading to broader access to homeownership, but also contributing to complexities in financial markets. His contributions have had a lasting impact on finance and the structure of the housing economy.