US Billionaire Lauds PM Modi for a 'Progressing Economy', Calls Him One of the Best Leaders in World

New Delhi: American billionaire Ray Dalio is of the opinion that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is "one of the best" leaders in the world. The influential global investor's statement came after PM Modi's recent keynote address at Saudi Arabia's flagship annual investor meeting, where Dalio conducted an on-stage discussion.

"In my opinion, Indian's Prime Minister Modi is one of the best, if not the best, leaders in the world (sic)," Dalio posted on his official Twitter account on Thursday.

Ray Dalio founder, co-chairman and co-chief investment officer of Bridgewater Associates was a part of the third iteration of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) event, which is also known as the 'Davos in the Desert' and draws high profile participants, including political leaders from various countries.

The American billionaire investor posted on Twitter a video of his sit-down discussion with PM Modi. "I had an opportunity to explore with him how he thinks as well as what he thinks," Dalio tweeted about his conversation with the prime minister on October 29.

The hedge fund billionaire, who has talked about learning how to meditate after being influenced by the Beatles who studied it in India in the 1960s, quizzed the prime minister about his meditation practice, his thought process and how that pertained to looking at the world itself.

"Meditation plays a vital role in having balanced thoughts a balanced life and the right view of the world" responded PM Modi who pointed out that holier than thou attitude and the attitude of demeaning others has become the cause of struggles and true thinking can help in finding a way out of conflicts.

Ray Dalio praised PM Modi for doing "many remarkable things" in India.

"You are not representing the poor or the rich and you are not representing one faction in relationship to another. You have joined the country together. You have made tremendous accomplishments.

"You have brought something like 500 million toilets and you have brought water and you will bring water to all of those people and you are changing their wellbeing in a united way. You are creating an economy that is making a great deal of progress for all of the people in a broader way," he said.

Ray Dalio ended the conversation by thanking the prime minister for the talk and for what he was doing as a leader of India.