Latest Interviews
Showing 31–45 of 80 interview transcripts.
Clear all filters- Milken Institute58 min
Conversations With Congress. Pt. 1: Kevin McCarthy & Pt. 2: Chuck Schumer
Kevin McCarthy, Chuck Schumer, Frank Luntz, Richard Sandler
U.S. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer addressed a deeply polarized political landscape, with McCarthy highlighting record-low unemployment and bipartisan legislative successes while Schumer outlined Democratic strategies to address economic stagnation and restore the American Dream. Both leaders emphasized the necessity of bridging ideological divides, citing personal relationships across the aisle and proposing concrete policy solutions such as infrastructure investment and structural reforms for Social Security to overcome gridlock. Despite acknowledging significant national challenges ranging from military readiness to international diplomacy, they each framed their respective parties' upcoming midterm goals around achieving tangible economic growth and restoring faith in government efficacy.
- Milken Institute57 min
MIc'd Up | A Conversation With Steve Ballmer
Steve Ballmer, Michael Milken, Stephen Ballmer, Mike Milken
Former Microsoft CEO Stephen Ballmer leveraged his corporate success to purchase the Los Angeles Clippers in 2014, where he now champions a dedicated arena and implements a player development program focused on life skills and emotional maturity. Concurrently, he and his wife founded the Ballmer Group to drive economic mobility through early childhood education initiatives and the data transparency project USA Facts, which aggregates government financial records to counteract declining social prospects. Drawing on his background as a first-generation American and tech executive, Ballmer argues that investing in pre-K yields superior long-term returns compared to later educational interventions while advocating for AI's potential to lift all societal boats despite short-term displacement concerns.
- Milken Institute1h 23m
Part 1: Conversation With David Petraeus | Part 2: Conversation With Steven Mnuchin
David Petraeus, Steven Mnuchin, Maria Bartiromo, Michael Milken, Tony Blair
Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, General David Petraeus, and former Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin convened to analyze the resurgent competition between authoritarian and liberal democratic systems shaping the 21st century. The panelists addressed critical geopolitical flashpoints including the strategic rivalry with China, the destabilizing role of Russia, and the potential for an Israel-Arab alliance to secure Middle East stability. Simultaneously, they discussed domestic economic priorities, ranging from the impacts of tax reform and trade negotiations to the necessity of robust governance in Africa and the Middle East to counter extremism and promote prosperity.
- Milken Institute58 min
Checking In With Stephen Cloobeck
Stephen Cloobeck, Jared Carney
In his book *Checking In*, hospitality executive Dan Klubeck outlines a management philosophy centered on extreme employee protection, reciprocal trust, and the view that dyslexia serves as an entrepreneurial asset. The narrative details his aggressive crisis management during the 2008 financial downturn, where he secured company survival through strict cash-based operations, personal salary cuts, and the strategic acquisition of distressed competitors. Beyond business operations, Klubeck leverages public stunts from his *Undercover Boss* appearances and political advocacy to demonstrate that reputation and human connection ultimately drive sustainable growth more effectively than traditional branding or technology.
- Milken Institute58 min
The Future of Higher Education
Jeffrey Selingo, Bill Achtmeyer, Rafael Bras, Mitch Daniels, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Candace Thille
Facing record tuition discount rates and a growing skills gap where 89% of employers find graduates unprepared, higher education is pivoting from a traditional four-year degree model to a "100-year lifetime" framework of recurrent, skills-based learning. Leaders at institutions like Georgia Tech and Purdue, notably Mitch Daniels, are driving this transformation through aggressive online expansion, AI integration, and financial innovations like Income Share Agreements to ensure affordability and relevance. As smaller schools face potential closure, the sector is consolidating around agile, market-driven models that treat credentials as dynamic data sets of verified competencies rather than static diplomas.
- Milken Institute55 min
A Conversation With "Crazy Rich Asians" Author Kevin Kwan
Kevin Kwan, Curtis S. Chin, Rich Green, Maria Amor, Ram, Josh Barrow, LC, Helena, JD Gladden, Amanda Bressler, Susan Lee, Jim Quick, David Sangali
Kevin Kwan, recently named to Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People list for his *Crazy Rich Asians* trilogy, discusses the creation of his first novel and its adaptation into the first Hollywood studio film in 26 years to feature an all-Asian cast. Produced with a team committed to authentic details and shot entirely in Singapore and Malaysia, the film faced casting resistance before securing a release that highlighted the economic rise of Asia and complex family dynamics across three continents. Kwan and his agents leveraged the project's commercial success to advocate for future Asian-led storytelling, aiming to dismantle Hollywood exclusion and inspire a new generation of diverse creators through upcoming television initiatives and expanded global narratives.
- Milken Institute1h 7m
De-Risking Emerging Markets Investments
Aron Betru, Jeremy Carter, Michael Eckhart, Keiko Honda, Catherine McCarthy, Jukka Pihlman, Kate McCarthy, Mike Eckhart, David Rockefeller Jr., Kate Ballard, David Freeman, Anne-Marie Slainmann, Cathy O, Jeremy Walker, Michael L, David Batts, Jeremy Standiffer, Rodney Ferguson, Aryeh Green, Ambassador Kobi Krimson
Despite a $2.5 trillion annual funding gap for the Sustainable Development Goals, global financial institutions are constrained by Basel III capital reserves and regulatory misalignments that penalize local currency lending and partial guarantees. Multilaterals like MIGA are increasingly deploying political risk insurance to catalyze private capital, yet structural inefficiencies in credit enhancement and a scarcity of bankable projects continue to hinder the flow of the $250 trillion available in global markets. Industry leaders are now pushing for streamlined credit enhancement mechanisms and regulatory reforms to convert public guarantees into effective tools that address the actual, rather than perceived, risks in emerging markets.
- Milken Institute1h 0m
Mr. Speaker: A Conversation With Paul Ryan
Paul Ryan, Conrad Kiechel, Brian Sullivan
Concluding the Milken Institute Global Conference, House Speaker Paul Ryan addressed political polarization, the structural hurdles of the Senate filibuster, and the administration's "Better Way" economic agenda centered on tax reform and infrastructure. While declining to run for president again to prioritize his family, Ryan detailed legislative successes in aviation and veterans' affairs while warning that a split government following the 2018 midterms would result in dangerous gridlock. The interview further highlighted his strategies for addressing entitlement costs, labor market mismatches, and trade uncertainties, emphasizing that securing economic security is the most effective remedy for identity-based division.
- Milken Institute1h 0m
A Conversation With Jane Goodall
Jane Goodall, Brian Sheth, Melissa Stevens
Jane Goodall and Brian Sheth discuss the convergence of private equity capital and global conservation through Goodall's Jane Goodall Institute and Sheth's leadership of Global Wildlife Conservation. They detail the expansion of Goodall's Roots & Shoots program to 150,000 youth groups and the institute's use of satellite technology to protect chimpanzee populations in Gombe and the Republic of Congo. The dialogue concludes with a strategic emphasis on integrating scientific rigor into policy-making and leveraging financial markets to sustain long-term environmental resilience.
- Milken Institute1h 3m
Lord of the Rings: A Conversation With Five-Time Super Bowl Champion Tom Brady
Tom Brady reaffirmed his commitment to playing through the 2018-2019 season by prioritizing longevity through his TB12 Method, a wellness protocol focused on pliability and injury prevention that aims to extend his career into his mid-40s. During a comprehensive discussion on team dynamics and personal philosophy, he clarified that he had no input on the Super Bowl LII roster decisions while emphasizing his reliance on family for motivation and his distinct approach to leadership. The conversation also covered his skepticism of new NFL rules, his assessment of Bill Belichick's genius, and his belief that the league must balance entertainment value with player safety to sustain industry growth.
- Milken Institute1h 21m
Lunch Program: A Conversation with Wilbur L. Ross, Jr., Jim Yong Kim and Jamie Dimon
Wilbur L. Ross, Jr., Jim Yong Kim, Jamie Dimon, Michael Klowden, Willow Bay, David Rubenstein
The 20th Milken Institute Global Conference convened approximately 4,000 attendees from 60 nations to address the theme of "Building Meaningful Lives" through strategic pillars of capital access, job creation, and health. Key figures including U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, and JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon presented diverging perspectives on trade policy, global development, and domestic infrastructure reform. Their discussions emphasized shifting from GDP-centric metrics to human capital investment, while outlining specific strategies to overcome regulatory hurdles and automate job transitions to drive future economic growth.
- Milken Institute1h 2m
Chess and the Art of War: Strategies That Win, from Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen
Magnus Carlsen, Erik Schatzker, Danny Rensch, DAN GALPIN, Rockwell Shaw, Frank Motek, Yascha Monk, Igor Tuchinsky, Steven Knapp, Toby Post, James Kuffner, Brett Bryan, Noaf Altari, Danny Kane, David Wall, Ari Milken, Bailey Milken, Eric Olives, Mike Tyson
World champion Magnus Carlsen demonstrated his elite cognitive endurance by winning most games in a rapid "sudden death" simul against ten opponents, including WorldQuant CEO Igor Tuchinsky and representatives from major tech and academic institutions. While adhering to a philosophy that prioritizes winning over artistic expression and relies on flexible physical optimization, Carlsen managed the extreme time pressure of ten-minute games by rapidly controlling the center and converting technical endgames. The event highlighted the intense mental strain of simultaneous high-level play, featuring a notable draw against David Wall that resulted from a clerical error where Carlsen mistakenly believed the game had concluded.
- Milken Institute59 min
Leading a Healthy Life
Paula Zahn, Rip Esselstyn, Michael O. Johnson, Erik Oberholtzer, Dean Ornish, Shazi Visram
Dr. Dean Ornish leads a panel demonstrating that integrated lifestyle interventions involving plant-based nutrition, stress management, and social connection can reverse chronic conditions ranging from heart disease to prostate cancer while simultaneously reducing long-term healthcare costs. The discussion identifies structural barriers such as food deserts and industrial subsidies as primary obstacles, proposing community-based solutions like affordable plant foods and distributed health platforms to ensure equitable access. Ultimately, the group concludes that individual behavioral choices, driven by the joy of living rather than fear, serve as the definitive determinant of health and can override genetic predispositions to prevent premature mortality.
- Milken Institute1h 1m
A Conversation with Sherry Lansing
Sherry Lansing, Stephen Galloway
Former 20th Century Fox and Paramount Pictures chairman Sherry Lansing spent 25 years leading Hollywood's most prominent studios, producing blockbusters like *Titanic* and *Forrest Gump* while overcoming gender bias and high-pressure production crises. In 2003, she transitioned from film to philanthropy, founding the Sherry Lansing Foundation to advance cancer research and education after a pivotal meeting with Jimmy Carter. Now 72, Lansing reports greater authenticity and joy in her charitable work than in her decades of studio management, with plans to remain active until age 100.
- Milken Institute1h 4m
Who Gets What — and Why: The New Economics of Matchmaking and Market Design
Alvin Roth, Dan Ariely, Peter Purcell
Nobel laureate Al Roth explains how market design distinguishes between commodity and matching mechanisms to address structural frictions like exploding offers and congestion that cause real-world inefficiencies. By applying these principles to complex systems, he has facilitated life-saving kidney exchanges and proposed regulatory shifts for high-frequency trading and healthcare to align incentives with social welfare. Roth argues that intentional institutional redesign, rather than reliance on price signals alone, is essential for optimizing outcomes in labor, criminal justice, and education sectors.