Cathie Wood, CEO of ARK Invest, met with El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele last week, in a visit organized by Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert, along with economist Art Laffer and ARK Invest research associates David Puell and Marc Seal.

On social media platform X, Wood stated, “By leveraging bitcoin and AI, the President could potentially increase El Salvador’s GDP tenfold during his next five-year term. Currently, El Salvador’s GDP is around $30 billion, and the average monthly income is just $450. President Bukele understands the Laffer Curve, and Art Laffer and I see many opportunities to build on the momentum from his tax incentives.”

Wood also noted the President’s enthusiasm for introducing Ark Educate’s curriculum on technological innovation — covering topics like robotics, energy storage, AI, blockchain, and multiomics — into El Salvador’s schools, adapted to be age-appropriate since 2020.

Wood further remarked on her conversation with Bukele, describing him as knowledgeable, engaging, and visionary, which explains his popularity not only in El Salvador but also in Latin America, Spain, and Portugal. She concluded that Bukele’s ambition to make El Salvador a hub for bitcoin and AI could lead to a tenfold increase in the country’s real GDP over the next five years.