Mehdi Samii is widely regarded as one of the fathers of modern economic system. His insistence on professionalism, transparency, and long-term planning set standards for economic. Even after the 1979 Revolution, his legacy remained respected across political lines because of his integrity and commitment to sound financial policy. Many economists today still point to his work as a model of responsible economic management in a resource-rich developing country.
He was also fond of music, painting, and cinema. He was both the originator and the promoter of the work of those involved in these arts. He took many initiatives in the spread and promotion of painting in Homeland, and he paid great attention to the works of prominent painters such as Hoshang Mesechnia, Sohrab Sepehri, and Bahman Mohassas. He sent them as gifts to the world’s big bankers and sold their works. When he started the banking study center in Capital, he decorated it with dozens of selected examples of the works of these painters and turned it into a kind of museum.
