Brexit

The European Union is 'doomed to fail,' says 'Black Swan' author Nassim Taleb

Black Swan's Taleb: Donald Trump 'brilliant salesperson'
VIDEO2:0702:07
Black Swan's Taleb: Donald Trump 'brilliant salesperson'

The European Union is doomed to fail, "Black Swan" author Nassim Nicholas Taleb said Thursday.

He told CNBC's "Power Lunch" the EU has become a "metastatic and rather incompetent bureaucracy" that is too intrusive.

"The way they've been building it top down from Brussels is doomed to fail. This is 2016. They are still thinking 1950 economics," said Taleb, who is also the author of "Antifragile" and is an advisor to Universa Investments.

Taleb has warned about an EU breakup for some time, calling it a horrible, stupid project back in 2012.

In fact, the U.K.'s vote to exit the EU last week didn't turn out to be the catastrophe that was expected, he said. While Brexit fears initially rattled global markets, stocks have been climbing back up over the last few days.

While he's against the current bureaucracy in place in the Europe, he still believes countries can work together, forming free trade agreements and joint military and economic policies. He envisions an Anglo-Saxon economic zone that encompasses the U.S., Ireland, Scotland and Britain.

Black Swan's Taleb: Voters tired of elitism
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Black Swan's Taleb: Voters tired of elitism

Taleb also doesn't see Brexit as an isolated event.

"People just realize that these elites don't know what they're talking about. It's nice to have elites. … you don't want them to tell you what to do," he said. "So they are tired of that and it's a rebellion."

"You have waves and of course we have a wave and I think that … it's spreading."

That can be seen in the popularity of Donald Trump, he added.

"He's a brilliant salesperson. He knows how to sell you real estate. … He knows what people want. And he detected exactly that point. And he's delivering but through trial and error."

—CNBC'S Kerima Greene contributed to this report.