Michael MilkenFor those of us who have lost loved ones in their prime - as I did when my father and other relatives succumbed - even one of those years would have been a precious gift.373Love
Michael MilkenThe future of our country is not found in our boardrooms, but in our classrooms.321HopeTime
Michael MilkenIn the four decades of philanthropy that have paralleled my business career, I've found that the same principles apply whether you're providing access to capital to grow a busines… ▶379HumanityLovePolitics
Michael MilkenI decided to shift my energy and concentration into changing my lifestyle and diet and taking charge of my own illness.261DeathLife
Michael MilkenEarlier in this century, philanthropy often flowed from the wills of dead industrialists. In recent decades, it's as likely to have come from a very alive business leader, enterta… ▶339DeathLifeLove
Michael MilkenThere's no substitute for rolling up your sleeves and working with the people who can make a difference. They get the benefit of your participation and you gain a direct understan… ▶275Humanity
Michael MilkenDedicated researchers seek better treatments and cures for diabetes, kidney disease, Alzheimer's and every form of cancer. But these scientists face an array of disincentives. We … ▶287Truth
Michael MilkenThe federal investment in finding cures for cancer - $3 billion annually [as of 1999] - is less than ... zero ... point ... zero ... zero ... zero ... four ... percent of our gros… ▶254Politics
Michael MilkenYou've got to treat people as equals, and make them feel like it's their company. I don't know if I've had any impact or helped persuade Frank [to sell Eastern]. But, I can tell y… ▶204Humanity
Michael MilkenThe past is always triple-A. We can all remember what the past was. But if we try to make the future triple-A, we have no future. The future is always single-B.227HopeTime
Michael MilkenSmall and mid-sized companies in this country historically have been responsible for creating the overwhelming majority of new jobs in the private sector. One of the most-common m… ▶173Truth
Michael MilkenIn financing growing companies, we always looked for human value that didn't appear on the balance sheet.153Humanity
Michael MilkenSo many of my family and friends had lost their battles against cancer. What could I do that my relatives and friends had not? What could I do that would be different?153Time
Michael MilkenMy experience indicates that most people who've accumulated a great deal of wealth haven't had that as their goal at all. Wealth is only a by-product, not the original motivation.157HumanityLife