Mike Milken
Mike Milken, widely known as the Junk Bond King, has been at the forefront of successful initiatives in medical research, education, public health and access to capital for more than five decades. A legendary financier, Milken revolutionized modern capital markets by pricing and rewarding risk more efficiently, and financing companies that created millions of jobs in various sectors. He joined Drexel Burnham Lambert in 1969 and traded in high-yield bonds, which earned him the nickname "Junk Bond King." Milken served nearly two years in prison for securities fraud but was granted a full pardon by President Donald Trump in 2020. Since his release from prison, he has returned to the spotlight as a philanthropist and chair of the Milken Institute, an economic think tank which produces the annual Milken Global Conference in Los Angeles, the Davos of the West Coast.
Mike Milken Professional Experience / Academic History
Professional Experience
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Founder and Chairman
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Head of the High Yield Bond Department
Academic History
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B.S., Highest Honors, Phi Beta Kappa
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Master of Business Administration
Mike is the Chair of the Milken Institute, the host of the annual Global Conference which brings over 5,000 thought leaders and decision makers from more than 50 nations to Los Angeles.
The Institute hosts more than 250 events annually, including major conferences in the Middle East, Singapore, Japan, New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.
The Institute also conducts policy research and organizes programs on a number of issues including public health, environmentalism, economic policy, and globalization.
Throughout his career, he has been featured in numerous financial media outlets and publications, including Forbes, Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Fortune, The New York Times, Business Insider, and more.
RECOGNITIONS
Fortune's "The Man Who Changed Medicine"
Esquire's 75 Most Influential People of the 21st Century
PHILANTHROPY
Mike is one of the country's leading philanthropists and a catalyst for change.
He co-founded the Milken Family Foundation and the Milken Education Awards, the nation’s preeminent teacher-recognition program that has honored nearly 3,000 K-12 educators.
In 2003, when federal research funding slowed, he founded FasterCures with the mission of accelerating progress against all life-threatening diseases.
He also chairs the Prostate Cancer Foundation, the world’s largest private funder of prostate cancer research.
He is a co-founder of the Melanoma Research Alliance, and the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University offers 30 degree options.