Latest Interviews
Showing 1141–1155 of 1,205 transcripts.
Clear all filters- Milken Institute1h 0m
The Future of Money: What's in Your Digital Wallet?
Eric Dunn, Paul Galant, Mark Lavelle, Ed McLaughlin, Lauren Lyster
Industry experts analyze the delayed adoption of mobile payments, attributing stagnation to a structural conflict between carriers and card issuers over NFC security elements and the absence of a clear "10x" value proposition for consumers. Panelists debate the future of digital infrastructure, weighing the role of legacy banking trust against modern tokenization while predicting that blockchain efficiency and cashless ecosystems will ultimately drive global financial inclusion despite skepticism toward cryptocurrencies. The consensus suggests that mainstream success relies on regulatory clarity, sustainable business models, and device-agnostic credentials to eventually replace physical currency and empower consumers with superior financial management tools.
- Milken Institute1h 2m
The Activist Investor
Michelle Edkins, Ed Garden, Clifton Robbins, Barry Rosenstein, Peter Weinberg, Anne Sheehan, Cliff Robbins, Michael D., Steve Miller
Panelists Ed Garden, Barry Rosenstein, and representatives from Trian, Jana Partners, and Blue Harbor describe how activist investing has shifted from hostile litigation to collaborative, institutionalized strategies focused on operational turnarounds and governance reforms. Distinct approaches include Trian's long-term capital lock-ups for turnaround execution, Blue Harbor's private equity-style value unlocking in mid-cap firms, and Jana Partners' selective event-driven engagements, all supported by a marked decline in defensive poison pills. The discussion highlights that these modern activists prioritize substantive economic benefits over short-termism, driving a broader industry evolution toward shareholder primacy and active board accountability.
- Milken Institute1h 4m
Cash on the Sidelines: How to Unleash $30 Trillion
Alexandra Lebenthal, Mustafa Sagun, Max Stone, James Zelter, Joe Reece
Held at the Milken Institute, a panel of four prominent investment leaders including Mustafa Sagan of Principal Global Investments and Jim Zelter of Apollo Capital Management addressed the dynamics of approximately $30 trillion in idle global capital. The discussion highlighted how corporate tax structures, pension deficits, and low-yield environments are trapping funds in safe assets while alternative lenders increasingly fill the void in small and medium enterprise financing. Panelists unanimously concluded that capital remains constrained by regulatory uncertainty and deflationary fears, predicting a significant shift toward riskier opportunities once yields rise or market volatility stabilizes.
- Milken Institute59 min
U.S. Tax Reform: What's New, What Would It Mean?
Jared Bernstein, Mark Everson, Nancy Kopp, Phillip Swagel, Liz Claman, Phil Swagel
Prominent experts including former IRS Commissioner Mark Everson and Milken Institute officials Phil Swaggle and Jared Bernstein convened to analyze U.S. tax reform priorities following the financial crisis, focusing on the inefficiencies of current tax expenditures like the mortgage interest deduction and carried interest. The panel identified a critical need to close the $300 billion annual tax gap and eliminate barriers such as the Alternative Minimum Tax that hinder small business innovation and domestic R&D investment. Despite consensus on the necessity of capping deductions and ending corporate tax deferral, the group acknowledged that political gridlock and rigid fiscal rules remain significant obstacles to comprehensive legislative action.
- Milken Institute1h 5m
The International Quest for Effective Education Reform
Michael Bennet, Eugene Kandel, Anthony Miller, Dilip Thakore, Dinghua Wang, Lowell Milken
A global analysis of education systems reveals that human capital investment is the primary driver of economic growth, with specific policy shifts in China, India, Israel, and the U.S. demonstrating how structural reforms in teacher incentives, accountability, and curriculum can address critical shortages and achievement gaps. While the United States faces a retention crisis and stagnant progress despite billions in spending, emerging models utilizing performance-based funding and rural integration strategies offer scalable blueprints for improving literacy and workforce readiness across diverse demographics. The consensus among experts emphasizes that sustainable national advancement requires decade-long strategic continuity and targeted private-sector innovation rather than frequent administrative overhauls.
- Milken Institute1h 1m
Housing: An Asset Class or a Place to Live?
Scott Garrett, Jeff Greene, Emile Haddad, James Litinsky, Rick Newman, Jim Latinsky
Following a bottom in sales, the housing market has stabilized with prices rising 9% year-over-year, yet experts attribute the current recovery to artificial government support that creates unsustainable low mortgage rates and a heavy reliance on GSE bailouts. A severe shortage of entitled land in high-growth regions combined with massive private and foreign investor activity is constraining supply, while panelists warn that a return to free-market interest rates could collapse the recovery if buyers cannot qualify at 5% or 6%. Although policymakers aim to reform GSE dominance over the next two decades, the consensus remains that the current era of financial repression has mispriced assets and risks a future correction once subsidies are reduced.
- Milken Institute1h 4m
Return on Investment: Beneficiaries Fueling Social Change
James Anderson, Scott Budnick, Eric Dawson, Jacqueline Gonzalez-Reyes, Kirsten Lodal, Malik Voyard, John Rogers Jr.
Moderator John Rogers facilitated a dialogue with leaders from Ariel Investments, Anti-Recidivism Coalition, LIFT Los Angeles, and Peace First to outline strategies for dismantling systemic poverty and recidivism through community-led interventions. Panelists highlighted transformative outcomes such as recidivism rates dropping below 3% for college-enrolled inmates and an $15 million income increase for LIFT families, while critiquing inadequate legal defense and custodial prison cultures that perpetuate inequality. The discussion concluded with a strategic pivot toward "impact investing" and narrative-driven scaling, urging institutional capital to shift from transactional aid to sustainable, human-centered policy reforms.
- Milken Institute57 min
A Conversation with Najib Ghadbian: Syria's Choices
Established in Doha in 2013, the Syrian Opposition Coalition functions as a unified political body recognized by 114 nations to coordinate the removal of Bashar al-Assad and govern liberated areas while the conflict has claimed over 70,000 lives. Under the command of General Salim Idris's Supreme Military Council, the group seeks urgent international support for strategic weaponry to counter regime forces and prevent the emergence of radical factions. Additionally, the coalition is developing a post-conflict framework requiring $60 billion to ensure state continuity, territorial integrity, and transitional justice while rejecting any political settlement that includes the current leadership.
- Milken Institute1h 0m
Creating Smarter Cities
Peter Scheer, Meredith Whitney, Mayor Smith, Mayor Richard Daley, Rick Caruso, Dan Bitterman, John Graff, Esther Dyson
JPMorgan Chase and the Brookings Institution launched a five-year Global Cities Initiative to address the fiscal and infrastructural challenges posed by rapid urbanization and the shift toward a mobile, internet-driven economy. Experts including Meredith Whitney, Rick Caruso, and Mayor Richard Daley advocated for private-public partnerships and the privatization of public assets to fund infrastructure and solve unsustainable pension systems. The panelists concluded that municipalities must adopt hybrid financing models and consolidate pension funds to remain globally competitive while avoiding the negative feedback loops of tax hikes and business exodus.
- Milken Institute58 min
Fueling American Entrepreneurship
Steve Case, Patrick McHenry, Laura Roden, Peggy Wallace, Peter Williams, Sean Greene
The JOBS Act, passed with strong bipartisan support, modernizes 80-year-old securities laws to democratize capital access through crowdfunding and IPO on-ramps for startups outside traditional coastal hubs. While venture capital funding remains constrained by post-2008 market dynamics, the legislation aims to stimulate growth in underrepresented regions like Denver and Baltimore while addressing critical barriers such as immigration reform and IP protection. Industry experts predict this regulatory shift will catalyze a "second internet revolution" by connecting over 8 million accredited investors with high-potential companies in sectors ranging from software to life sciences.
- Milken Institute1h 12m
Big Goals, New Strategies and the Future of High-Level Philanthropy
David Rubenstein, Yuri Milner, Gene Case, Shmuel Mehtar
Leading philanthropists like David Rubenstein and Yuri Milner advocate for integrating charitable labor and technology into core business operations to move beyond traditional capital-focused models. Recent initiatives include the launch of the Breakthrough Prize to recognize fundamental scientists and the "Billion Plus Change" campaign, which has secured over $2 billion in pro bono talent commitments from 350 companies. Despite these strategic shifts, the sector faces persistent challenges regarding gender disparity, tax policies that favor financial gifts over volunteerism, and the sustainability of a rapidly growing number of under-resourced nonprofits.
- Milken Institute1h 3m
Global Financial Regulation
Jared Seberg, James Barth, Bob Corker, Gary Lathrop, Kevin Lynch, Tom Pirelli, Bruce Brown, Chris Cole, Michael D.
A panel of senators and banking executives concluded that financial instability stems primarily from excessive risk and regulatory failure rather than sheer institutional size, with Senator Bob Corker and experts like James Barth advocating for targeted GAO studies over mandatory bank breakups. The discussion emphasized the risks of fragmented global regulations and overly stringent capital requirements, which threaten to shift lending activity to the unregulated shadow banking sector while stifling economic growth. Furthermore, the group uniformly rejected a financial transaction tax, called for regulating specific activities instead of institutions, and supported opening the banking sector to non-financial firms to foster innovation and accountability.
- Milken Institute1h 2m
Plotting a Course for Post-Crisis Europe
Paul Coulson, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, Erik Nielsen, Keith Savard, Josef Stadler, Anatole Kaletsky
Europe currently serves as the primary constraint on global economic recovery, characterized by stagnation in major nations like France and Italy while the US enjoys stronger growth indicators. Political developments, particularly in Italy, alongside deep structural disparities in energy costs and banking fragmentation, have intensified pressure for a unified fiscal and monetary response within the Eurozone. While market participants anticipate eventual alignment with US and Japanese monetary strategies to stabilize the currency, the long-term viability of the bloc hinges on overcoming political resistance to debt mutualization and implementing urgent labor reforms in key economies.
- Milken Institute1h 0m
Climate Change: Hope for the Best, Prepare for the Worst
Nathaniel Keohane, Michael Levi, Molly Macauley, Richard Sandor, Sheldon Whitehouse, Peter Passell
A diverse panel of experts, including Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and industry leaders Richard Sanders and Molly McCauley, argues that climate adaptation has shifted from a supplementary tactic to an essential strategy necessitated by irreversible impacts like species loss and extreme weather. The discussion highlights critical challenges in financing through insurance sector vulnerabilities and updating building codes, while warning that political gridlock and fragmented data on migration obstruct effective implementation. Ultimately, the speakers emphasize that without aggressive carbon pricing and integrated global governance, reliance on reactive measures will fail to address the systemic security risks posed by a non-steady-state climate.
- Milken Institute1h 3m
New Directions in Private Equity
Leon Black, David Bonderman, Jonathan Nelson, Jonathan Sokoloff, Scott Sperling, Maria Bartiromo
Despite a 30% drop in private equity deal volume, market leaders like Apollo's Leon Black and TPG's David Bonderman are pivoting from traditional leveraged buyouts to high-growth assets, minority stakes, and distressed opportunities in Europe. While valuations remain stretched due to cheap credit and seller reluctance, firms are prioritizing capital deployment in defensive sectors like media and consumer staples while navigating macroeconomic uncertainty. Panelists anticipate a continued harvest phase over the next 18 months, with capital flows shifting toward customized structures and emerging markets that offer differentiated returns beyond standard GDP growth metrics.