Latest Interviews
Showing 1–15 of 71 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 Institute27 min
The American Dream at 250 | Global Conference 2026
Jon Clifton, Michael Milken, Anousheh Ansari, Giselle Fernandez, Sanjay Gupta
The Center for the American Dream Initiatives hosted a panel featuring Iranian-born astronaut Sanooch, journalist Giselle Fernandez, and surgeon Sanjay Gupta to highlight how immigrant resilience and access to opportunity fuel the national narrative. Drawing on personal histories and data showing that immigrants view the dream as most thriving despite falling institutional trust, the speakers argued that collective optimism is essential to overcoming domestic polarization. The event further unveiled an interactive, AI-enhanced mural honoring 68 immigrants, reinforcing the thesis that the United States continues to be the primary global destination for those seeking to build a future.
- 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 Institute51 min
Innovation in Artificial Intelligence and Manufacturing | Middle East & Africa Summit 2025
Hunny Bhagchandani, Kaushik Burman, Frans Cronje, Songo Didiza, Guy Diedrich, Mostafa El-Ghorab, Kweilin Ellingrud, John Kamara, Francis Kariuki, Ayaan Mohamed, Editha Mshiu, Emily Musil, Nneile Nkholise, Derick Nwumfor Chunga, Michael Milken
Launched in 2021, the Milken-Mozzeppe Innovation Prize's fourth "AI and Manufacturing" track selected ten semi-finalists from over 12,000 global applicants to compete for a $1 million grand prize at the May 2026 Milken Institute Global Conference. A panel of industry experts evaluated these contenders based on commercial viability and technological depth, with five companies including Digitech Oasis and Blee Glee Management Company advancing to the final round while all ten recipients received $50,000 seed awards. Strategic commentary from leaders such as Michael Milken underscored the program's role in catalyzing local African manufacturing, creating youth jobs, and disintermediating global industries through AI-driven innovation.
- Milken Institute36 min
Michael Milken in Conversation with HE Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak | Middle East & Africa Summit
Michael Milken, HE Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Sarah Sandler, His Excellency Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak
Building on early foundational investments like the 2017 creation of a federal AI ministry and MBZ AI University, the UAE is accelerating its strategic pivot with the US-backed Stargate project, a massive 19-square-kilometer AI cluster scheduled for operational status by late 2025. This infrastructure initiative, which integrates 35,000 NVIDIA H100 chips and involves major partners like OpenAI and Microsoft, serves as the backbone for broader domestic AI integration across government services via the "Tem" platform and corporate strategies such as Mubadala's "Maya" decision-making system. These concerted efforts aim to sustain the nation's top global rankings in entrepreneurship and competitiveness while driving projected wealth migration and economic diversification beyond oil.
- 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
National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya Conversation | Future of Health Summit 2025
Jay Bhattacharya, Michael Milken
NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya addresses a critical loss of public trust and stagnant U.S. life expectancy by restructuring the agency toward a venture capital investment model that prioritizes young researchers and publishes negative results to resolve the replication crisis. While navigating geopolitical tensions with China and correcting misconceptions about budget cuts, the administration leverages bipartisan congressional support to maintain leadership through open talent attraction rather than isolation. A new communication strategy, including a weekly podcast, aims to depoliticize scientific discourse and demonstrate how biomedical advances translate into tangible economic growth and public health improvements.
- 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 Institute38 min
A Conversation with US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent | Global Conference 2025
Scott Bessent, Richard Ditizio, Michael Milken
The 28th annual Milken Institute Global Conference convened 1,000 speakers under the theme "Toward a Flourishing Future" to address critical resource gaps in health, connectivity, and global wealth distribution while urging for inclusive coalitions to bridge societal divides. Concurrently, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent outlined the Trump administration's economic agenda, which prioritizes trade tariffs to boost domestic manufacturing, a "big beautiful bill" of tax cuts and deregulation, and an aggressive strategy to lower the federal deficit by 1% annually. The administration further signaled a shift toward "safe, sound, and smart" financial regulation, strategic partnerships with Ukraine, and a focus on maintaining U.S. dominance in AI and quantum computing to foster a "new golden age" of prosperity.
- 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 Institute30 min
A Conversation with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang | Global Conference 2025
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang frames AI as a $100 trillion industrial revolution that creates "AI factories" to automate labor and reintegrate millions of workers into the global economy. Operating as an end-to-end infrastructure provider, the company builds massive, gigawatt-scale systems while arguing that unrestricted global chip trade is essential for establishing dominant U.S. standards. Through a culture of perpetual resilience and a focus on "Physical AI," NVIDIA aims to close the technology divide and drive GDP growth across healthcare, manufacturing, and robotics sectors.