The Graphic Truth: COVID-19 pandemic vs 2009 recession

The International Monetary Fund has said that the coronavirus pandemic will cause the world's worst economic catastrophe since the Great Depression in the 1930s. It will vastly surpass what happened in 2009 during the recession. If there's a silver lining, it's that the recovery from what the Fund calls "The Great Lockdown" is set to be much faster than what we saw in 2010. Here's a comparison of the dip and the recovery between then and now, for some of the world's largest economies, based on IMF data and projections.

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(Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Sipa USA) via Reuters

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REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

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In this new episode of Tools and Weapons, Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith and former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer share insights on the early days of Microsoft and the pitch that convinced Ballmer to join the company. They explore his journey from scaling the company from a small 30-person startup to one of the most valuable companies on the planet. They also discuss how three traits — irrational confidence, realism, and persistence — have helped him succeed at Microsoft and today as the owner of the LA Clippers. Subscribe and find new episodes monthly, wherever you listen to podcasts.