Latest Interviews
Showing 1–15 of 53 transcripts.
Clear all filters- Milken Institute41 min
Investing in Economic Mobility: Building a Path to Opportunity | Global Conference 2026
Michael Milken, Ted Cruz, Brad Gerstner, Kevin Hassett
The "Invest America Act" mandates the automatic creation of direct-ownership investment accounts for millions of children, a program championed by Senator Ted Cruz and economists like Kevin Hassett as a vehicle for "Opportunity Conservatism" rather than government redistribution. Supported by massive private philanthropy from figures such as the Dells and Ray Dalio, the initiative allows tax-free annual contributions up to $5,000 with projected account values reaching $700,000 by age 35. By targeting the bottom of the income distribution, the White House aims to cultivate a nationwide constituency of young investors while driving a political shift toward expanding personal capital ownership beyond current eligibility thresholds.
- Milken Institute34 min
Conversation with BlackRock CEO Larry Fink & Brookfield Corp CEO Bruce Flatt | Global Conference '26
Larry Fink, Bruce Flatt, Laurence D. Fink, Michael Milken
Bruce Flint of Brookfield and Larry Fink of BlackRock refuted private credit liquidity concerns while projecting a $10 trillion global infrastructure expansion driven by urgent shortages in power, compute, and defense-grade facilities. The executives detailed how hyperscalers are shifting from self-funding to external financing models, facilitating a massive capital transition where private credit and long-term asset managers fund AI data centers and autonomous security infrastructure. Furthermore, these leaders highlighted a structural evolution in retirement investing and asset consolidation, noting that consistent 12% annual returns and bespoke 50-year lock-up periods are essential to support this new "K-economy" where massive capital blocks outcompete traditional public equities.
- Milken Institute1h 3m
Credit Outlook | Global Conference 2025
Michael Milken, Lee Kruter, Drew McKnight, Purnima Puri, James Reynolds, Christian Stracke
Driven by the 2023 banking retrenchment and rising institutional demand for yield, major asset managers including PIMCO, Fortress, and Goldman Sachs are shifting capital from traditional lending to non-investment-grade private credit and alternative financing structures. Panelists identify significant growth opportunities in undervalued asset-based credit, data center infrastructure, and expanding markets in Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, while emphasizing defensive strategies focused on recovery rates rather than default probabilities. Despite regulatory uncertainties and untested default cycles, experts project the sector will scale significantly to fill the void left by contracting bank balance sheets.
- Milken Institute1h 2m
Global Overview: Innovation, Partnerships, and Growth | Middle East & Africa Summit 2025
Hadley Gamble, His Excellency Jasem Al Budaiwi, Her Excellency Mariam bint Mohammed AlMheiri, Yasseen Mansour, Michael Milken, Yassine Mansour, Jasem Al Budaiwi, Mariam bint Mohammed AlMheiri
The 46th GCC Summit united regional leaders to prioritize collective defense following recent security threats while accelerating economic diversification, evidenced by non-oil GDP reaching 76% and the UAE becoming the global top destination for millionaires. Strategic investments totaling $150 billion target Africa's demographic growth and energy sectors, complemented by a joint AI strategy designed to transform government services and healthcare across the region. Positioned as a neutral mediator in global affairs, the bloc combines regulatory stability with massive infrastructure projects to attract capital flows and challenge traditional economic centers like Europe and the United States.
- Milken Institute35 min
What Does Smart Implementation of AI in Health Look Like? | Future of Health Summit 2025
Michael Milken, Amy Gleason, Eric Lefkofsky
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services is accelerating a $2 trillion annual overhaul by deploying AI-driven interoperability frameworks and consolidating fragmented data to eliminate systemic waste projected to exceed $10 trillion by 2034. Personal case studies illustrating severe diagnostic delays have catalyzed recruitment of top tech talent to build a unified provider directory and a personal AI health companion designed to guide patients through complex care journeys. By setting government infrastructure guardrails while allowing private sector innovation, this strategic vision aims to transform healthcare from a resource-draining liability into a predictive, efficient ecosystem capable of preventing costly medical events.
- Milken Institute31 min
Private Equity's Next Move in Latin America | Global Investors' Symposium Mexico City 2025
Michael Milken, Martín Escobari, José E. Feliciano
Investment firms General Atlantic and Clear Lake are leveraging Mexico's young demographic, surplus of STEM graduates, and geopolitical decoupling from China to position the nation as a high-growth hub for nearshoring and capital deployment. With local valuations trading at a 50% discount to the U.S. and the entry of President Claudia Sheinbaum signaling reduced corruption, these organizations aim to scale operations by directing Mexican pension funds toward private equity and expanding supply chain infrastructure. This strategy seeks to transform Mexico into a $12 trillion economic zone by 2040, capitalizing on reshoring trends and a maturing financial ecosystem to double or triple employment within their portfolio companies.
- Milken Institute48 min
Toward a Flourishing Future | Global Conference 2025
Michael Milken, Sian Beilock, Jon Clifton, Francis Collins, Jenny Johnson
A multi-disciplinary panel convened to redefine leadership through the lens of human flourishing, contrasting stagnant global GDP metrics with critical declines in mental well-being, youth purpose, and social connection. Experts from Dartmouth, Gallup, and financial sectors outlined a roadmap integrating physical health, ethical education, and blockchain-enabled financial democratization to counter rising anxiety and workplace misery. The discussion concluded with a call to embed these flourishing dimensions into public policy, advocate for mandatory civic service, and utilize technology to dismantle barriers to economic opportunity.
- Milken Institute1h 0m
Common Sense from Uncommon Investors | Global Conference 2025
Michael Milken, Victor Khosla, Marc Lipschultz, Robert F. Smith, Jonathan D. Sokoloff, Anne Walsh
On May 5, 2025, a panel of investment leaders including Anne, Jonathan, Robert, Mark, and Victor analyzed a geopolitical landscape upended by U.S. fiscal policy and trade shifts that have heightened market volatility and debt concerns. Despite these macroeconomic headwinds, the group highlighted robust opportunities within private equity, generative AI, and private credit, citing specific strategies such as expanding employee ownership, deploying "agentic" AI solutions, and providing stable capital for hyperscale infrastructure. The discussion concluded with a focus on governance and succession, emphasizing the necessity of shifting from short-term arbitrage to long-term value creation while mentoring the next generation of investment professionals to navigate structural market changes.
- Milken Institute46 min
The Next Generation of Investment Leaders | Global Conference 2025
Michael Arougheti, Todd Boehly, Michael Milken
On May 6, 2025, Ares' Michael Arrigetti and Eldridge's Todd Boley convened to discuss replicating Berkshire Hathaway's scale by building companies from scratch rather than acquiring existing ones. Their firms distinguished themselves through decade-long returns exceeding 67% for high-yield instruments and deep cultural investments in sectors ranging from private credit to sports franchises like the Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Dodgers. Both leaders project trillions in assets under management by leveraging undeployed capital, maintaining strict leverage discipline, and prioritizing long-term compounding over immediate financial necessity.
- Milken Institute43 min
A Conversation with Citadel CEO Ken Griffin | Global Conference 2025
Ken Griffin critiques current U.S. fiscal policies and immigration frameworks, warning that regressive tariffs and restrictive visa rules threaten to erode national flexibility while failing to retain the international scientific talent essential for future growth. He advocates for aggressive K-12 and higher education reforms driven by school choice and data transparency to dismantle systemic inefficiencies, citing Success Academy and his own Harvard philanthropy as models for overcoming institutional inertia. Looking forward, Griffin aims to mobilize an estimated $150 billion in generational wealth to fund private-sector innovations and inspire a new era of scientific ambition similar to the 1960s space race.
- Milken Institute1h 0m
Bold Proposals for Protecting the Free-Enterprise System while Closing the Wealth Gap | GC 2024
Michael Milken, John Hope Bryant, Brad Gerstner, Teresa Ghilarducci
At a May 2024 Milken Institute panel moderated by Michael Milken, experts including Stephen Mnuchin, Brad, John Hope Bryant, and Theresa outlined a consensus strategy to protect the free enterprise system by replacing wealth taxes with universal financial literacy and private capital access. The discussion detailed specific legislative and corporate initiatives such as the Retirement Savings for American Act and the "Invest America" proposal, which aim to automatically enroll millions of workers in retirement accounts and establish seed accounts for newborns to counteract economic inequality. Proponents argue these structural reforms, alongside private equity expansion, are essential to prevent national decline and ensure that the impending intergenerational wealth transfer builds lasting capital rather than dependency.
- Milken Institute1h 14m
Navigating a Changing Global Economy | Middle East and Africa Summit 2024
Laura Deal Lacey, Michael Milken, His Royal Highness Prince Turki Al Faisal Al Saud, Makhtar Diop, Mohamed Mansour, Alan Schwartz, Prince Turki Al Faisal Al Saud
Held in Abu Dhabi in December 2024, the 6th Annual Middle East and Africa Summit convened global leaders from the Milken Institute, the International Finance Corporation, and the Mansour Group to mobilize capital toward healthcare, economic development, and environmental sustainability. The event highlighted a strategic pivot where emerging markets are transforming from passive capital providers into technology hubs capable of bridging the gap between the aging Global North and Africa's young, growing workforce. Participants addressed critical investment barriers such as regulatory uncertainty and currency mismatches by proposing blended finance models and de-risking strategies to unlock trillions of dollars in private and philanthropic resources.
- Milken Institute53 min
Health Care of the Future | Future of Health Summit 2024
Michael Milken, Alex Azar, Buddy Carter, Diana DeGette, Renee Wegrzyn
The event detailed how ARPA-H and legislative initiatives like "Cures 2.0" are addressing systemic healthcare challenges by funding high-risk biomedical innovations and ensuring pharmaceutical independence. Key figures including Rep. Diana DeGette and Rep. Chris Carter highlighted strategies to reform Medicare Advantage payment models and repatriate drug manufacturing to counter supply chain vulnerabilities. The panel concluded with a call for increased federal investment in translational science and a broader call for business leaders to enter government to sustain the pace of medical breakthroughs.
- Milken Institute40 min
Global Overview | Perspectives from Around the World | Middle East & Africa Summit 2023
Becky Anderson, Iván Duque Márquez, Michael Milken, Patrice Motsepe, Mohandas Pai
Michael Milken identifies five primary economic drivers—education, demographics, health, financial markets, and sustainability—while highlighting a global power shift from the industrial-era North to emerging markets like India, Africa, and Latin America. Regional analyses reveal divergent trajectories where Nigeria and Africa face demographic dividends or bombs, India leverages its digital "India Stack" for massive transaction volume, and Latin America capitalizes on nearshoring and renewable energy potential. Despite these opportunities, the global outlook remains precarious due to rising geopolitical polarization, accelerating climate change impacts, and financial vulnerabilities created by the dominance of private equity in the United States.
- Milken Institute45 min
Global Investment Outlook | Asia Summit 2023
Laura Deal Lacey, Michael Milken, Haslinda Amin, Lim Chow Kiat, Steffen Meister
A fragmented discussion addressed speculative topics ranging from unverified energy transition goals to undefined geopolitical strategies involving the United States, China, and the United Kingdom. Participants mentioned broad concepts like artificial intelligence, fiscal accountability, and market volatility without establishing concrete data, specific timelines, or actionable policy outcomes. The session concluded with general acknowledgments but failed to produce a coherent narrative, leaving the stated objectives regarding value capture and supply chain dynamics unresolved.