Latest Interviews
Showing 31–45 of 47 transcripts.
Clear all filters- Milken Institute52 min
Humanity, Revised? Editing and Augmenting the Human Species
Michael Milken, Juan Enriquez, Peter Diamandis
Speakers including Peter Diamandis, Juan Enriquez, and Ray Kurzweil outline a paradigm shift where human evolution is moving from natural selection to intelligent direction through advanced bionics, CRISPR gene editing, and quantum computing. These technologies are projected to exponentially increase human capabilities, merge biology with digital intelligence by the mid-2030s, and enable the growth of replacement organs or the revival of extinct species. The presenters argue that private capital and global transparency now drive a moral imperative to secure a multi-planetary existence and achieve longevity escape velocity before extinction risks overwhelm Earth.
- 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 Institute1h 13m
Lunch Program | Promoting Prosperity in a World in Transition
Michael Klowden, Michael Milken, Jane Harman, Jim Yong Kim, Tidjane Thiam
At the midpoint of the Milken Institute Global Conference, a high-level panel featuring former Secretary Robert Gates, Paul Ryan, and leaders including Jane Harmon, Dr. Jim Yong Kim, and Tijan Fafé analyzed the economic imperatives of global prosperity and the $4 trillion gap required to meet Sustainable Development Goals. The discussion centered on leveraging private sector innovation and demographic shifts in emerging economies to fund critical investments in human capital, health, and education, culminating in the launch of the Disruptive Technology for Development fund to support infrastructure leapfrogging in developing nations. Speakers emphasized that addressing instability in Africa and the Middle East through targeted rule of law and wealth management strategies is essential for preventing future conflict and securing long-term global security.
- Milken Institute1h 12m
The Future of Health 2018
Tanisha Carino, Francis Collins, Diana DeGette, Jim Yong Kim, Michael Milken, Rajiv Shah
At a recent biomedical and economic conference, leaders discussed the transformative $3 billion 21st Century Cures Act and the ambitious "All of Us" program, which aims to recruit one million participants to generate personalized genomic and health data while addressing the opioid crisis through standardized research. Complementing these health initiatives, the World Bank introduced a Human Capital Index to rank nations on health and education outcomes, urging G20 leaders and investors to fund early development and infrastructure to mitigate global risks like automation-driven inequality and obesity-related economic burdens. These strategies collectively emphasize that sustained economic growth and stability depend on treating human capital investment as a critical driver of national sovereignty and future market resilience.
- Milken Institute41 min
A Conversation with Steve Ballmer
Steve Ballmer, a Harvard graduate who left Stanford to join Bill Gates at Microsoft, has applied his strategic leadership and data-driven philosophy to diverse sectors including technology, philanthropy, and sports. He founded USAFacts.org to provide nonpartisan government data that holds officials accountable and aims to improve economic mobility, while simultaneously revitalizing the LA Clippers with a focus on championship performance and operational transparency. Ballmer's approach consistently emphasizes the necessity of high performance, clear vision, and measurable outcomes across all his current ventures.
- Milken Institute34 min
A Conversation with PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi
Indra Nooyi, Michael Milken, Andrew, Mike
PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi transformed the beverage and snack giant through "Performance with Purpose," a strategy that integrated social and environmental sustainability into core operations while shifting the revenue portfolio toward healthier product lines. This cultural overhaul was driven by scientific leadership under Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Mahmood Khan and reinforced by tying executive compensation to specific nutritional and environmental goals. Nooyi further extended the company's impact by forging partnerships with healthcare institutions to improve access for underserved veterans and advocating for systemic policy changes to address chronic disease and nutritional equity.
- Milken Institute1h 38m
A Conversation with Ray Dalio and Michael Milken
Ray Dalio outlines his journey from a 1960s caddie to the architect of Bridgewater's "idea meritocracy," a philosophy forged after a costly 1982 sovereign debt mistake forced him to prioritize objective disagreement over ego. Drawing on historical cycles like the 1974 market crash and 1937 recession, Dalio warns of current parallels in wealth disparity and pension funding gaps while critiquing Bitcoin as a speculative bubble despite China's engineering strengths. His analysis concludes that future economic resilience depends on radical transparency, automation-ready skills, and recognizing that sustainable wealth is a byproduct of value creation rather than an end goal.
- Milken Institute1h 6m
Lunch Discussion: Investing in California's Future
Bobby Kotick, Scott Minerd, Lynda Resnick, Lyndon Rive, Michael Milken
A high-level panel convened by industry leaders like SolarCity's Lyndon Rive to analyze California's economic resilience, highlighting critical challenges in municipal debt, workforce retention, and immigration policy. The discussion detailed the tension between rapid renewable energy expansion and regulatory hurdles while proposing public-private partnerships to address educational gaps and unfunded healthcare liabilities. Ultimately, participants urged a strategic shift from reactive philanthropy to active business engagement to compete globally against emerging markets like China and secure sustainable long-term growth.
- Milken Institute56 min
MI Summit 2013 - London: Access to Global Capital: Investing in Growth
Mindy Silverstein, Tony Blair, Strive Masiyiwa, Seth Merrin, Jane Rowe, Michael Milken
In partnership with LiquidNet and Tony Blair's Africa Governance Initiative, the Milken Institute launched the Access to Global Capital Initiative to direct foreign investment into emerging markets like Indonesia, Colombia, and Rwanda through improved governance frameworks. Major institutional investors, including Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, are increasing their emerging market exposure by leveraging rigorous risk management and specific country classifications to align fiduciary interests with stable regulatory environments. This collaborative effort aims to catalyze economic transformation by proving that human capital and predictable rules drive growth more effectively than natural resources, thereby incentivizing broader global adoption of these development strategies.
- Milken Institute55 min
A Conversation with Howard Marks and Mike Milken (updated)
Howard Marks, Mike Milken, Michael Milken
Historical analysis of major market crashes, including the 1973 Nifty Fifty collapse and the 2008 financial crisis, reveals that investors often suffer catastrophic losses by ignoring cyclical valuations and overestimating the safety of high-quality assets. The presentation further explains that long-term bond returns depend more on reinvestment rates than initial yields, while successful investing requires focusing on knowable factors like specific companies and demographics rather than unpredictable macro variables. Finally, the discussion highlights how Oaktree Capital Group sustains its long-term success through a firm culture rooted in specific ethical creeds, harmonious teamwork, and a succession strategy that prioritizes the perpetuation of values over individual founder skills.
- Milken Institute56 min
A Conversation with Howard Marks and Mike Milken
Howard Marks, Mike Milken, Michael Milken
Oaktree Capital employs historical market cycles and behavioral analysis to teach that asset quality is secondary to valuation, as demonstrated by repeated failures when investors extrapolate linear growth during bubbles like the Nifty Fifty and the 2008 crisis. By emphasizing that risk is often misperceived and that true success requires focusing on knowable fundamentals rather than unknowable macro trends, the firm structures its culture around team-based incentives to ensure long-term survival and client prioritization. This approach positions investors to profit by remaining aggressive when others are terrified and conservative when optimism dominates, effectively navigating market temperatures without relying on specific economic predictions.
- Milken Institute1h 14m
Investing in African Prosperity
Tony Blair, Bill Gates, H.E. Paul Kagame, Strive Masiyiwa, Rhonda Zygocki, Michael Milken
Economic and health data reveal that twenty-five African nations have achieved middle-income status, driven by demographic dividends, rapid mobile adoption, and strategic investments from corporations like Chevron and the Agricultural Transformation Agency in Ethiopia. Successful interventions in countries such as Rwanda and Zimbabwe demonstrate that combining local capacity building with global partnerships can eliminate extreme poverty, eradicate diseases like polio, and transform sectors ranging from agriculture to financial services. These outcomes suggest a future where infrastructure leapfrogging and transparent governance create a sustainable win-win scenario for both private investors and African populations.
- Milken Institute1h 12m
Lunch Panel: A Cure for What Ails Us: Celebrating the Impact of Science
Nancy Brown, Francis Collins, Thomas Frieden, Andrew von Eschenbach, Michael Milken
The bioscience forum highlighted the sector's massive contribution to increased global life expectancy and economic growth while emphasizing that flat budgets and inflation have critically reduced NIH grant success rates to below 20%. Distinguished leaders such as Francis Collins and Tom Frieden warned that sustained funding cuts and a 90% treatment-versus-prevention spending imbalance threaten American innovation and the careers of young researchers. Despite these financial constraints, the event underscored significant breakthroughs in areas like genomic medicine and disease eradication, with panelists urging renewed investment to maintain global health leadership and drive future discoveries.
- Milken Institute1h 1m
Lunch Panel: A Conversation with Tony Blair and Michael Milken
Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair reflected on the psychological demands of executive leadership while outlining his strategies for addressing global challenges including the Eurozone crisis, religious extremism, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He emphasized the necessity of structural reforms to drive economic growth and argued that open immigration policies and private-sector innovation are critical for future stability, contrasting his experiences managing unforeseen crises with his current freedom to select specific international causes. Blair concluded by calling for a $6 million initiative to link 1,000 schools globally, aiming to combat radicalization through shared education and the promotion of common values across cultures.