The 2025 Milken Institute Global Conference brought together pioneers in business, technology, health, and policy to discuss critical issues shaping the future of our world. During the first week of May, the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles once again became the epicenter of global capital, innovation, and influence.
Now in its 28th year, the conference welcomed over 5,000 participants from more than 80 countries, among them heads of state, Fortune 500 CEOs, asset managers, renowned scientists, cultural icons, and philanthropic leaders. Centered on the theme “Toward a Flourishing Future,” this year’s gathering was not just a meeting of minds. It served as a launchpad for solutions, partnerships, and investments aimed at driving real world impact over the next decade.
The Global Conference has become a beacon of light for the world and a catalyst for actionable solutions, where bold ideas meet capital and conversations become commitments shaping the next decade.
From Ideas to Impact: Milken’s Agenda for Urgent Global Action
Milken is not a conference for optics. It is a forum for ideas that demand action. The 2025 program featured more than 200 sessions structured across critical themes:
- Artificial Intelligence & Emerging Technologies, with panels on governance, productivity, and the competitive dynamics of frontier innovation.
- Energy, Climate, and Environment, focusing on sustainable finance, adaptation strategies, and clean energy investment.
- Health & Global Wellness, from preventative medicine to pandemic preparedness and mental health equity.
- Global Finance & Capital Markets, with sessions diving into interest rate strategy, private equity trends, protectionism, and de dollarization.
- Philanthropy, Human Capital & Inclusive Growth, exploring how capital can fund systems level change through education, impact investing, and community led development.
The format included mainstage discussions, off the record roundtables, curated networking salons, and highly targeted investment meetings. It was an ecosystem designed to bridge public and private influence, without silos and without pretense.
A Constellation of Global Voices
This year’s speaker roster reflected Milken’s unique convening power across continents and sectors. Among the featured voices:
- First Lady Jill Biden, who spoke powerfully on education reform, cancer research, and mental health initiatives.
- Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank, and Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the IMF, offering perspective on economic inclusion and systemic resilience.
- CEOs including Jensen Huang of Nvidia, Jane Fraser of Citigroup, Mary Barra of General Motors, and Marc Benioff of Salesforce, who brought forward looking strategies on AI, ESG, and corporate innovation.
- Public intellectuals and leaders like Ken Griffin, Scott Bessent, and Larry Summers, who sparred on U.S. trade strategy, inflation, and global monetary policy.
- Icons such as David Beckham, Magic Johnson, and Pitbull, adding a cultural dimension to discussions on branding, sports equity, and generational philanthropy.
The presence of global ministers, central bankers, venture capitalists, Nobel laureates, and social entrepreneurs added further layers of richness, and reminded all that prosperity is as much about design as it is about investment.
Flashpoint: The Tariff Debate
One of the most closely watched exchanges took place between U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Citadel CEO Ken Griffin, who delivered opposing views on the future of American trade policy. While Bessent defended tariffs as a national economic strategy, Griffin cautioned against the long term risks of protectionism, describing it as a gateway to “crony capitalism.”
It was a defining moment for the conference. a reminder that Milken remains one of the few global stages where high stakes disagreements are aired publicly and constructively, with decision makers in the room.
Confidence Behind Closed Doors
Though public sessions addressed serious risks, including geopolitical tension, economic fragmentation, and climate disruption, the private tone was far more optimistic. In high level salons and investor circles, confidence in U.S. markets remained firm.
Family offices, sovereign wealth funds, and institutional investors expressed continued interest in sectors such as AI, infrastructure, biotech, and energy. Exhibitions featured demonstrations of self driving technology, clean mobility platforms, and healthcare breakthroughs. Evenings included high powered dinners and private concerts, underscoring the social gravity of Milken. It is a place where global networks are not only forged, but fortified.
Climate Finance: From Commitments to Capital
One major evolution was the tone around climate change. While net zero remains a goal, the new conversation was more grounded. Attendees discussed physical risk mitigation, private credit as a climate tool, and blended finance structures that balance public risk with private return. The mood reflected a shift from declarations to execution.
Rather than climate guilt, the emphasis was on climate opportunity, especially in emerging markets, frontier technology, and urban resiliency investments.
What It Means for Wealth Leaders
For the ultra affluent, Milken Global 2025 reaffirmed several key messages:
- Resilience is now a baseline, not an aspiration. Portfolios and strategies must navigate volatility as a constant.
- Private capital is expected to lead, not follow. The public sector is looking to family offices and private equity for scalable solutions.
- Access matters. Insight alone isn’t enough. Milken offers the relationships and real time visibility that enable co investment, deal sourcing, and policy anticipation.
- Legacy is leverage. Impact and influence are no longer opposites. This is where capital becomes character.
Final Reflections: A Gathering That Moves Markets
As the conference drew to a close, one theme rang louder than the rest. Progress is possible, but only if it is intentional.
Milken Global 2025 proved once again why it remains one of the most important convenings of the year. Not just because of who shows up, but because of what they leave with. Sharper strategies, new partnerships, and a deeper understanding of how capital must evolve in a world defined by transition.
In an era where credibility and foresight are currency, this conference delivered both, and did so with clarity, confidence, and community.
