Benjamin A. Olken (born April 1975) is an American economist and professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Olken is one of the directors of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), a research centre specializing on the use of randomized evaluations for the purpose of studying poverty alleviation. His research focuses on the political economy of developing countries, especially regarding the role of corruption and the impact of interventions addressing corruption.