Michael Milken

Chairman, Milken Institute

Mike Milken has been at the forefront of successful initiatives in medical research, education, public health and access to capital for more than four decades. Fortune called him "The Man Who Changed Medicine." In 1982 he formalized his philanthropy by co-founding the Milken Family Foundation. In addition to the Global Conference, the Milken Institute hosts more than 250 events annually, including major conferences in Singapore, Abu Dhabi, London, New York and Washington, D.C. He is the founder and chairman of FasterCures, which works to speed progress against all life-threatening diseases, and the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University was established with an Institute gift. In early 2020, the Institute’s 10 centers and Mike’s foundations refocused their efforts to respond to the coronavirus crisis; Mike also launched an ongoing podcast series titled "Conversations with Mike Milken" featuring global leaders in public health and medical research, government, industry, and academia to increase understanding of how we will work, socialize, and fight disease for years to come. In 2023, the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream will open in Washington, D.C. As a financier, Mike revolutionized modern capital markets by pricing and rewarding risk more efficiently; the thousands of companies he financed created millions of jobs. A graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, he earned his M.B.A. at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School. He and his wife Lori have been married since 1968 and are members of the Giving Pledge; they have three children and 10 grandchildren. More information is at www.mikemilken.com.