Michael Milken 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 and his colleagues 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. After two decades of actively supporting medical research, he became a patient in 1993 when he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Over the last three decades, he has increased his focus on making the research process more effective and efficient.

Fortune magazine wrote, “No one had ever really pulled together the full picture of how – and how much – (Milken) has shaken up the medical establishment and saved lives. Now thousands are living longer – and leaders everywhere are taking notice.” Milken’s 2023 memoir, Faster Cures: Accelerating the Future of Health, documents his lifetime of work in the field.

He also chairs the Milken Institute, a widely respected think tank whose annual Global Conference brings 4,000 leaders from 50 nations to Los Angeles. Other annual conferences are held in London, Washington, DC, Singapore, and the Middle East. The Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University was renamed in recognition of an Institute gift. 

Milken graduated from Berkeley with highest honors and earned his MBA at the Wharton School. He and his wife, Lori, have been married since 1968. They have three children and ten grandchildren.