Who became the first president of the World Bank in 1946?

Eugene Meyer became the first president of the World Bank in 1946.

Meyer was an American financier, newspaper publisher, and former chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve. The World Bank, formally the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, began operations after the Bretton Woods institutions were created during the Second World War.

He served only briefly, from June to December 1946. His short tenure reflected the difficulty of organizing a new international financial institution, including disagreements about its lending priorities and administrative structure.

The World Bank later became a group of institutions focused on development finance, poverty reduction, and reconstruction. Meyer is sometimes confused with John Maynard Keynes, who helped shape the Bretton Woods discussions but never led the World Bank, or with Eugene Black, who became its third president.