In a Wall Street Journal interview, Mike says to beat Covid-19 we must "invest in where the world is going, not where it is." Learn more here
Lifestyles Magazine calls Mike a "genius game changer who is saving lives." Learn more here
"Mike Milken's crusade - how it's changing medicine" was a Fortune magazine cover story. Learn more here
A Forbes cover story
listed Mike among
"The Visionaries Reimagining Our Children's Future." Learn more here
Short Biography
Mike Milken's career has mirrored his four main professional passions: medical research, education, public health and access to capital. He has been uniquely successful in creating value, whether measured in lives saved (Fortune magazine called him "The Man Who Changed Medicine"), students inspired (Forbes said he is an education visionary) or jobs created. Beginning in 1969, he financed thousands of companies that collectively created millions of jobs.
His philanthropy, which began in the 1970s and paralleled his business career, expanded in 1982 with the establishment of the Milken Family Foundation. When the coronavirus pandemic swept the world in 2020, Mike drew on his five decades of working with leaders in public health and medical research to redirect the efforts of his foundations and the Milken Institute in several areas: connecting industry, public health schools and government agencies to expedite treatments and address shortages; provide policy recommendations; and disseminate accurate information.
Mike is chairman of the Milken Institute, an economic think tank whose annual Global Conference brings more than 5,000 leaders from 50 nations to Los Angeles. Other annual conferences are held in London, Washington, D.C, Singapore and the Middle East. The Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University was renamed in recognition of a gift from the Institute.
Mike graduated from Berkeley with highest honors and earned his MBA at the Wharton School, where he was a Joseph Wharton fellow. He and his wife, Lori, who are members of the Giving Pledge, have been married since 1968. They have three children and 10 grandchildren.
The Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream believes anyone with a dream, and the drive to achieve it, should have the opportunity to make it come true— through expanding access to education, health, and economic freedom, and by unleashing the power of entrepreneurship and innovation.
A non-profit, non-partisan economic think tank whose scholars lead an international dialogue on solutions in the areas of economics, health, aging, human capital, philanthropy and capital markets. Listen to the Institute's COVID-19 Conference Call Series.
The Milken Scholars Program provides outstanding high school students with a commitment of four years of college financial assistance, counseling, volunteer opportunities and preparation for graduate studies and beyond.
The MRA has awarded approximately $123 million to medical investigators in 18 countries focused on accelerating new therapeutic approaches for melanoma, improving existing treatments, developing new biomarkers and advancing understanding of risk factors. Since 2007, the FDA has approved 13 new melanoma treatments.
The world's largest philanthropic source of funds for prostate cancer research, the Prostate Cancer Foundation is helping reduce the death rate from one of the most common cancers.
Mike's five decades of philanthropy include many other programs in medical research, public health and education.
President Biden told Mike what has made him so successful in negotiating as a senator and as vice president with international leaders. The bottom line? “All politics is personal.”
At the Global Conference, President George W. Bush described the effects on his family from the death of his sister Robin when he was only seven years old.
Mike Milken and legendary film director John Landis spoke movingly about their lives and careers during a sold-out event at the Alan Howard Foundation JW3 Speaker Series in London's Jewish Community Centre.
Conversations with Mike Milken
Mike Milken speaks with more than 100 global leaders to help better understand and respond to the coronavirus crisis, social justice issues and business leadership.
