Latest Interviews
Showing 1–13 of 13 interview transcripts.
Clear all filters- Milken Institute29 min
Equality and Equity: A Conversation with Vista Equity's Robert Smith
Robert Smith proposes a strategic "2% Solution" that redirects approximately $970 billion from the earnings of the top ten U.S. banks to fund capital for minority depository institutions and modernize their technological infrastructure. This initiative aims to eliminate banking and broadband deserts while deploying cloud-based lending tools to 1,075 Community Development Financial Institutions over a two-year period. Concurrently, the plan leverages the InternX platform to bridge the gap between HBCU STEM talent and major corporate partners, ultimately targeting $300 billion in capital infusion to generate a projected $1.5 trillion annual GDP uplift.
- Milken Institute28 min
A Conversation with Calvin Klein
Calvin Klein, Mike Milken, Michael Milken
Calvin Klein co-founded his global fashion empire with early capital from childhood friend Barry Schwartz, eventually pioneering disruptive marketing strategies like the Brooke Shields "Nothing" campaign and unauthorized product placements to define an American, provocative brand identity. While the partnership with financier Michael Milken provided critical structural discipline during cash crunches, Klein also navigated legal controversies such as the "Kiddie Porn" investigation by prioritizing cultural conversation over traditional safety. Today, he reflects on how social media has compressed the industry timeline, distinguishing between fleeting celebrity brands and enduring legacy companies built on distinct style and consistent messaging.
- 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 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 Institute31 min
A Conversation With Indra Nooyi and Mike Milken
Former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi championed the "Performance with Purpose" strategy to secure generational longevity by aligning financial growth with human, environmental, and workforce sustainability. She countered investor skepticism regarding short-term restructuring charges by restructuring the product portfolio and engaging directly as a global statesman to navigate complex regulatory and implementation challenges. Nooyi further advocated for systemic workforce retention solutions, including mandatory family support systems, while driving regional gender inclusion strategies to leverage the purchasing power of women.
- Milken Institute42 min
A Fireside Chat with Serge Pun Building Myanmar
Serge Pun, Staci Warden, Mike Milken, Mahendra Lama, Minseok Lee, Dickey Yuhuiko, Brad Gordon
Expanding from a private interview to a public forum, the Milken Institute session featured Serge Poon and Mike Milken discussing Myanmar's shifting economic landscape following the removal of US sanctions. Poon detailed his forty-year journey from displacement to rebuilding a private banking empire through strict anti-corruption practices, while outlining a strategy prioritizing long-term infrastructure investment over short-term gains. The dialogue concluded with an optimistic five-year forecast for nation-building, emphasizing regional connectivity and the need for investors to support foundational "trunk" projects despite lingering political risks.
- Milken Institute1h 26m
Public Health Summit Dinner March 2, 2016
Mike Milken, Tom Frieden, Rob Califf, Fred Upton, Nancy Pelosi, Francis Collins
This event featured key figures including Francis Collins, FDA Commissioner Rob Califf, and CDC Director Tom Frieden discussing critical public health challenges such as the implementation gap between knowledge and action, rising opioid overdose deaths, and the threat of a post-antibiotic era. The proceedings highlighted specific policy responses ranging from Mexico's successful food taxes and "health stops" to the U.S. House passing the 21st Century Cures Act and funding the Brain Initiative, alongside clinical breakthroughs in treating depression and heart failure. To address these systemic issues, officials urged for robust funding, the adoption of global "find, stop, prevent" strategies, and a massive volunteer effort for the Precision Medicine Initiative to accelerate biomedical discovery.
- Milken Institute1h 40m
Asia Summit 2015 - AIIB and the Evolving Multilateral Lending Landscape
Mike Milken, Lee Kuan Yew, Jin Li-chun, Tommy Koh, Jin Tong, Tadashi Maeda, Clive Kerner, Elena Okorochinko
At a Milken Institute discussion, AIIB President-designate Jin Li-chun outlined the bank's lean, clean, and green operational framework designed to complement existing multilateral development banks in addressing a global infrastructure financing gap of $2 trillion annually. With 57 provisional founding members approved and a target to operationalize by year-end, the institution plans to leverage a 2.5 gearing ratio to reach $250 billion in lending capacity while offering flexible financing stages to bridge the $8 trillion Asian infrastructure demand projected for 2030. Although major economies like the United States and Japan remain cautious, stakeholders including rating agencies and the IFC view the AIIB as a strategic partner capable of enhancing credit quality and mobilizing private capital for sustainable development.
- Milken Institute1h 17m
Son of a Gambling Man: My Journey from a Casino Family to the Governor's Mansion
Bob Miller, Joel Kurtzman, Mike Milken
On January 21, 2014, Harvard researchers Aris Aydin and Jean-Baptiste Michel will discuss *Uncharted Big Data as a Lens on Human Culture* alongside former Nevada Governor Bob Miller, who remains at the venue to sign copies of his autobiography. The event contextualizes Miller's career within the broader evolution of Las Vegas, tracing its transformation from a mob-influenced gambling hub into a globally recognized economic leader through the strategic visions of figures like Bugsy Siegel, Howard Hughes, and Steve Wynn. By detailing shifts in financing, regulatory oversight, and infrastructure, the session highlights how legal enforcement and corporate innovation drove Nevada's diversification beyond gaming into fields such as biotechnology, mining, and tech.
- 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 Institute1h 0m
MI Forum: Creating a World Without Poverty
Muhammad Yunus, Mike Milken, James McGowan, Betsy Zyman, Ross Duvall, Steve Barth
Founded by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus to democratize access to capital, the Grameen Bank operates a unique microfinance model where 7.3 million borrowers, 97% of whom are women, own the institution itself. This structure inverts traditional banking by eliminating collateral and legal enforcement while utilizing social pressure to maintain repayment rates exceeding 98%, thereby extending credit to the world's poorest populations. Building on this foundation, Yunus has expanded into social business ventures like Grameen Danone and Grameen Shakti, which deliver essential services ranging from nutrition to solar energy without relying on external dividends.
- 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 Institute52 min
Dinner Panel: Mike Milken Interviews Eike Batista and T. Boone Pickens
Mike Milken, Eike Batista, T. Boone Pickens, Michael Milken
Nobel laureates and energy advocates Boone Pickens and Ike Batista identified energy and education as the two primary drivers of global societal challenges, contrasting U.S. legislative gridlock over natural gas solutions with Brazil's stable "unleveraged economy." While Pickens advocates for replacing imported diesel with domestic natural gas to reduce reliance on OPEC, Batista highlights Brazil's massive offshore oil discoveries and strategic investments as a key frontier for global energy needs. The panel further outlined specific economic strategies, including U.S. job creation through fuel conversion and Brazil's $15.5 billion EBX Group expansion, positioning both nations as critical players in the future resource landscape.