Bill Ackman, Ken Griffin and more to host $200K-per-head Milken Institute events in Hamptons mansions
Billionaires Bill Ackman, Ken Griffin and Julia Koch are reportedly set to open up their respective mansions in the Hamptons to host events for the Milken Institute next week — posh shindigs where attendees pay as much as $200,000 to rub elbows with influential figures from politics, business, tech and journalism.
The events are being described as a boutique version of the annual Milken Institute Global Conference that is traditionally held in Los Angeles and which attracts leaders in finance, government, philanthropy and academia who gather to discuss the burning issues of the day.
The talks and networking events at the Hamptons this year, which will be held starting Thursday through Sunday, will include panel discussions, dinners and receptions as well as a charity tennis tournament to benefit prostate cancer research, according to Bloomberg News, which obtained copies of invites.
Anyone who wants to gain access to all of the events can pay sums starting at $25,000 for more limited entry.
Full access to all of the panel discussions and dinners costs $200,000, according to the invitations obtained by Bloomberg News.
The Post has sought comment from Griffin, Koch and the Milken Institute. A spokesperson for Ackman declined to comment.
The Milken Institute was founded by Michael Milken, the former investment banker who served nearly two years in prison after pleading guilty to securities fraud and other crimes linked to his use of insider information while trading junk bonds in the 1980s.
In February 2020, Milken was granted a full pardon by then-President Donald Trump, which effectively cleared his criminal record.
Since his release from prison in the early 1990s, Milken has turned to philanthropy with a focus on improving global health and economic stability through research and policy initiatives.
Earlier this year, Ackman appeared at a Milken Institute event in Los Angeles during which he was confronted by Wall Street executives over his past criticisms of diversity, equity and inclusion policies (DEI).
Milken is due to give opening remarks before a panel discussion about national security hosted by Griffin.
Griffin, the billionaire co-founder of hedge fund giant Citadel, is scheduled to interview former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and retired US Navy Admiral William McRaven.
Ackman, the Pershing Square Capital Management founder who has raised his public profile in recent months with his criticism of American colleges and their handling of Israel-related protests, will interview the presidents of Brown University and the University of Austin, which was co-founded by journalist Bari Weiss.
Koch, the billionaire widow of the late industrialist and prolific political donor David Koch, will host a panel about the impact of social media on mental health.
Linda Yaccarino, the CEO of Elon Musk’s social media platform X, will appear on a panel devoted to branding, according to Bloomberg News.
Others who are scheduled to appear at the event are former Goldman Sachs executive and Trump administration official Dina Powell McCormick; Google Chief Financial Officer Ruth Porat; Peter Orszag, the former Obama administration official who is currently CEO of Wall Street asset management firm Lazard; billionaire businessman Todd Boehly; and former Trump official Linda McMahon.
