Quotes from Michael Milken

My 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.

For 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.

was drilled into us that success should not be measured in dollars; the truly successful person creates a family whose members are able to enjoy meaningful lives. And what gives life greater meaning is the opportunity to contribute to the community. Then Dad would lower his voice, as if to emphasize one final point: "No one in our society can have that unless everyone has a chance to achieve the American dream.

In financing growing companies, we always looked for human value that didn't appear on the balance sheet.

So 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?

The 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.

The future of our country is not found in our boardrooms, but in our classrooms.