Fame
There are a number of economists who've reached stardom, or at least mass name recognition. Ever hear of Alan Greenspan, the former Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve? How about John Maynard Keynes? Keynes developed many of the theories of modern macroeconomics. What about Milton Friedman?
He was named by The Economist as one of the most influential economists in the second half of the 20th century. He was also named one of the most influential economists by Modern Ferret magazine, although it is a vastly less qualified source on the subject. (We're kidding, of course. We approached Modern Ferret for their take on the snub, but they declined to comment.)
To achieve any degree of fame in this industry, you must accurately forecast economic conditions in your chosen field over a long period of time. To achieve notoriety, you must have flaws in your theories and predictions. Shoot for the first one.