Latest Interviews
Showing 1–15 of 23 transcripts.
Clear all filters- Milken Institute59 min
A Conversation with Bill Clinton, 42nd President of the United States | Global Conference 2024
Bill Clinton, William Jefferson Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Chelsea, Charlotte, Aidan, Jasper, George H.W. Bush, Mike Milken, Lori, Richard Ditizio, Alan Schwartz
At the Milken Institute Global Conference, executives and attendees emphasized cross-partisan collaboration to address global challenges, highlighting that women currently receive only 2% of global funding despite the critical need for inclusive partnerships. Former President Bill Clinton distinguished between divisive and inclusive tribalism while detailing successful initiatives such as the Clinton Health Access Initiative, which has saved 30 million lives and secured HIV treatment for 80% of children globally. Clinton further advocated for early childhood education strategies and public health reforms, arguing that maximizing generic drug production and leveraging corporate cooperation offer superior returns on investment compared to divisive nationalism or grievance-based politics.
- 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 6m
Priorities for the Next U.S. President
Jeff Green, Tillman Fertitta, Ellen Townsher, Frank Luntz, Mike Milken
Four former presidential candidates—Jeff Green, Tillman Fertitta, Ellen Townsher, and Frank Luntz—discussed hypothetical policy outcomes at the final session of the Milken Institute conference, moderated by Wolf Blitzer and Mike Milken. Each panelist detailed specific legislative achievements in their imagined administrations, ranging from Green's $1.2 trillion infrastructure plan and Guaranteed Minimum Income to Fertitta's elimination of corporate deficits and Luntz's failed VA reform efforts. The discussion highlighted divergent approaches to governance, with candidates sharing contrasting results on economic growth, foreign relations, and the practical challenges of implementing bold structural changes.
- 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 42m
Asia Summit 2015 - Asias Future: Perspectives on Prospects and Challenges
Wing, Kirk Wager, Mike Milken, Cesar, Purisima, Kevin Sneader, Jing Ulrich, Tim Cofer, Achal Agarwal, Sam Fisher, Chris Wei
This event highlighted the United States' deepening strategic commitment to Southeast Asia, underpinned by a $220 billion cumulative investment in top ASEAN markets and projected to support a middle class growing from 525 million to 1.2 billion people by 2030. Key speakers detailed Indonesia's aggressive fiscal shifts, including a $32 billion subsidy cut and $22 billion infrastructure allocation, alongside the Philippines' demographic-driven growth fueled by its young, English-speaking workforce and expanding manufacturing sectors. Despite short-term currency volatility, the consensus among global corporations and government officials affirmed that Asia's unique blend of urbanization, digital innovation, and rising consumption will anchor the region as the primary engine of global economic expansion.
- Milken Institute57 min
Around the World in 60 Minutes: Creating Global Prosperity
Mike Milken, Tony, Strive, Nouriel, Kathy
The 18th annual Milken Institute Global Conference convened 4,000 attendees and global leaders including Tony Blair and Nouriel Roubini to address the dual challenges of global job creation and economic resilience. Key outcomes included the formation of a task force targeting one billion new jobs and strategic imperatives emphasizing migration liberalization, human capital investment, and health infrastructure to counter automation and demographic shifts. By shifting focus from aid to trade and advocating for lifelong learning, the panel established a framework for future prosperity centered on open governance and innovation.
- Milken Institute1h 7m
Bettering California's Business Climate
Mike Cloughton, Mike Milken, Scott Minard, Kevin DeLeon, Sharon, Troy
Hosted by the Milken Institute, the California Summit convened key policymakers and investors to address the state's economic trajectory, demographic shifts, and innovation capacity. Leaders such as Scott Minard, Senator Kevin de León, and Troy Carter debated strategies to leverage California's upgraded credit rating for massive infrastructure bonds, reform the film tax credit system, and resolve funding disparities for women-led bioscience firms. The event concluded with a consensus that the state must reduce regulatory friction and lower marginal tax rates to retain global talent and sustain growth in critical sectors like technology and healthcare.
- Milken Institute1h 9m
Leaders on Leadership: An Intimate Conversation
Mike Milken, Howard Marks, Janet Napolitano, Steve Wynn
Nearly 1,000 women convened at a marathon-style global conference where leaders like Janet Napolitano, Steve Wynn, and Howard Marks addressed themes of strategic risk, transparent authority, and second-level thinking across 160 sessions. The event highlighted how decisive actions, such as CVS Caremark's removal of cigarettes or Wynn's irreversible capital commitments, require balancing immediate financial pressures against long-term organizational missions. By synthesizing historical parallels with modern investment principles, the gathering framed bold leadership as the deliberate choice to accept calculated risks to secure sustainable economic and societal growth.
- Milken Institute1h 2m
A Conversation with Ken Griffin and Steve Schwarzman
Ken Griffin, Steve Schwarzman, Mike Milken, Kenneth Griffin, Stephen Schwarzman
Ken Fisher, Steve Schwarzman, and Ken Griffin identify educational deficiencies, excessive regulation, and a mismatch between workforce skills and modern economic demands as primary threats to U.S. competitiveness. These leaders advocate for structural reforms in public schooling, support initiatives like the Schwarzman Scholars Program to bridge global talent gaps, and call for deregulation and energy independence to stimulate small business growth. Furthermore, they contrast the U.S. reliance on capital markets with Europe's bank-centric model, urging immediate action on entitlement reform and fiscal policy to restore long-term human capital and drive job creation.