Latest Interviews
Showing 46–60 of 109 transcripts.
Clear all filters- Milken Institute59 min
Common Sense from Uncommon Investors
Michael Milken, Jonathan Coslet, John Danhakl, Mitchell Julis, Brian Sheth, Steven Tananbaum, Mike Milken
Industry leaders from Leonard Green & Partners, Canyon Partners, Vista Equity Partners, GoldenTree Asset Management, and TPG convened to discuss evolving strategies in private equity, corporate debt, and technology investing. These executives detailed critical shifts in their operational frameworks, ranging from Canyon's resistance to AI in bespoke financial structuring to Vista's data-driven talent acquisition and GoldenTree's transformation of CLOs into fund structures. The dialogue further examined the necessity of aligning investor and management interests through diverse ownership models and the strategic preference for absolute value over relative metrics in a shifting macroeconomic environment.
- Milken Institute1h 1m
Investing with Vision: A Conversation With SoftBank's Rajeev Misra
Rajeev Misra, Mike Milken, Michael Milken
SoftBank Vision Fund has deployed $80 billion across 80 portfolio companies to aggregate fragmented markets through AI-driven platforms and preferential debt financing. Led by Rajiv Mehta, the fund targets 30% long-term returns by applying a minority stake strategy to "fearless" founders while leveraging SoftBank's ecosystem for global expansion. With a second fund planned for immediate launch, the organization aims to capitalize on the transition from internet growth to an AI revolution that restructures industries like transportation and hospitality.
- Milken Institute1h 5m
Keeping the American Dream Alive
Michael Milken, Raymond Dalio, Robert Smith
A panel of economists and policy experts diagnoses the erosion of the American Dream as a result of stagnant incomes for the bottom 65%, extreme wealth concentration, and systemic underdevelopment driven by technological substitution and flawed monetary policy. To reverse these trends, the group proposes data-driven public-private partnerships that treat education and early intervention as high-yield capital investments, specifically targeting at-risk youth and underserved STEM students through targeted internships and holistic support systems. The discussion concludes that without bipartisan cooperation to redistribute opportunity and address the looming risk of social conflict, the nation faces severe systemic instability exacerbated by a rapidly shifting demographic landscape.
- Milken Institute51 min
Sir Richard Branson and Michael Milken in Conversation with Kevin O'Leary
Sir Richard Branson, Michael Milken, Kevin O'Leary, Richard Branson
Speakers Richard and Michael analyze a sharp decline in Western faith in free enterprise driven by student debt, stagnant real estate returns, and wealth inequality, while contrasting this with optimism in emerging markets like Vietnam and China. They argue that successful entrepreneurship now relies on balancing visionary leadership with operational management to navigate deregulation, tax competitiveness, and global capital flows, noting that SMEs have become the primary engines of job creation. Furthermore, the discussion outlines solutions for systemic challenges, including a universal carbon tax to address climate change and for-profit space exploration to ensure both environmental sustainability and human survival.
- Milken Institute1h 30m
A Conversation with Howard Marks: Mastering the Market Cycle
Investment strategist Howard Marks emphasizes that historical market cycles and human psychology consistently drive asset pricing, challenging the "this time is different" narrative while highlighting the critical importance of valuation over asset quality. His analysis of structural shifts, from the evolution of bond covenants to the rise of passive investing, underscores that risk is cyclically determined by investor sentiment and liquidity rather than economic fundamentals alone. Ultimately, Marks argues that successful capital allocation requires recognizing probabilistic outcomes and maintaining sufficient resources to exploit the extreme fear and pricing inefficiencies that arise during inevitable downturns.
- Milken Institute1h 1m
Healthy People, Healthy Planet: Creating a Sustainable Ecosystem
Ryan Shadrick Wilson, Dan Barber, Bill Cassidy, Michael Milken, Walter Robb
A speaker delivered a fragmented session marked by technical failures, personal distress, and incoherent repetition rather than substantive policy or data. While alluding to a crisis and a potential future project, the speaker failed to provide specific details on events in New Orleans and New York or confirm any definitive outcomes. The presentation concluded without offering actionable information, instead highlighting the speaker's physical exhaustion and an inability to address the questions posed.
- 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 Institute59 min
Credit Market Outlook
Michael Milken, Ilfryn Carstairs, Sir Michael Hintze, David Miller, Joseph Naggar, Jim Zelter
Leading asset managers including Apollo, Golden Tree, and CQS convened to analyze the $102 billion permanent capital opportunities emerging from a 48% growth surge in leverage finance and over $1.1 trillion in private equity dry powder. The panel detailed how rising interest rates, evolving regulatory frameworks in Europe and India, and a shift toward covenant-light structures are creating distinct arbitrage strategies in distressed assets and direct origination. By leveraging granular, country-specific platforms and complex legal analysis, these firms aim to deliver 7–12% risk-adjusted returns while navigating systemic risks posed by inflation and technological disruption.
- Milken Institute1h 2m
The World in Transition | Africa and the Middle East: The Cradle of Civilization Once Again?
Staci Warden, Mohammed Alardhi, Madalitso Mandiwa, Michael Milken, Patrice Motsepe, Stephanie von Friedeburg
The panel convened to address the critical nexus of Africa's demographic surge and infrastructure deficits, highlighting how the continent's addition of 12 million annual workers requires urgent capital mobilization to prevent a demographic curse. Industry leaders and officials, including Patrice Motsepe and Mike Milken, argued for regional integration, private sector de-risking strategies, and the development of local capital markets to transform population potential into sustainable economic growth. The discussion concluded that bridging the $170 billion annual infrastructure gap through innovative financial instruments and open borders is essential to stabilize the region, retain local talent, and prevent mass global migration.
- 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 Institute1h 1m
Common Sense From Uncommon Investors
Michael Milken, Mark Attanasio, John Danhakl, Emanuel J. Friedman, George G. Hicks, Mitchell Julis
On May 1, 2018, moderator Michael Milken led a panel of five prominent investors, including Mitch Jewett of Canyon Partners and John Donahue of KKR, to discuss generating alpha through specialized expertise in distressed assets and private equity. The participants detailed their strategies for navigating complex restructurings like Caesars Entertainment and analyzing market inefficiencies caused by regulatory constraints and ETF dominance. This exchange highlighted how these firms leverage global reach and capital flexibility to achieve outsized returns while the panelists debated the timing of a banking sector recovery and the enduring value of alternative lending structures.
- Milken Institute58 min
International Capital Flows: Strategic Investment for Sustainable Growth
Michael Milken, Simon Cooper, Thomas Finke, Sir Michael Hintze, Steven Tananbaum
On February 8, 2018, in Abu Dhabi, representatives from Standard Chartered, CQS, GoldenTree, and Barron's analyzed how global capital markets are shifting amid geopolitical tensions and regulatory changes. The panelists highlighted that while the Belt and Road Initiative threatens to mobilize $10 trillion in infrastructure capital across Africa and the Middle East, traditional market dynamics are inverting as debt markets remain complacent while equity valuations reflect long-term disruption risks. Ultimately, the discussion concluded that reduced bank balance sheets and the rise of passive funds necessitate active strategies in direct lending and real assets to navigate the increased volatility and capture returns in fragmented emerging markets.