Uneasy CEOs at Milken turn to overseas growth—and seek answers

• In today’s CEO Daily: Diane Brady reports on the mood at the Milken conference.
• The top leadership news: GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen’s potential acquisition of eBay could disrupt the company’s ongoing recovery efforts.
• Market activity: Shows mixed performance as investors assess new developments concerning the conflict in Iran.
• Additionally: All the latest news and discussions from .

(SeaPRwire) –   Good morning from the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, where global leaders are convening to discuss the innovations and trends shaping society. For this finance-focused audience, the primary interest lies in capital and its most impactful deployment. A downturn in the markets, coupled with the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz, concerns about the implications of the AI revolution, risks associated with private credit, and a perception of global reordering potentially unfavorable to the U.S., may have tempered enthusiasm. With the Beverly Hilton undergoing renovations, public seating and networking spaces were limited. One CEO remarked, “This feels like a high school fire drill,” as attendees gathered in the lobby. Key takeaways:

Global focus. The U.S. remains a robust market attractive for investment, a well-known fact. I spoke with individuals such as Kaan Terzioğlu, Group CEO of VEON, a telecommunications and digital services provider based in Dubai with operations in emerging markets like Pakistan and Bangladesh. He stated, “These countries are consistently viewed as risky. Pakistan is not an oil-dependent nation; it’s a data-producing country.” He added, “And Bangladesh is home to 118 million people, where women are fully integrated into economic development. I am very optimistic about Bangladesh’s future.” There’s a prevalent optimism regarding investments in emerging economies. Bruce Flatt of Brookfield Asset Management, for instance, is increasing his investments in the Middle East.

Is China now the mature player? Author Niall Ferguson suggested that China is engaged in a proxy conflict in Iran, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang advised the Milken attendees that China should not receive his most advanced chips. However, I also heard executives praise the quality of Chinese automobiles, the nation’s clear strategic direction, the optimism of its populace, and the partnerships it is establishing with U.S. allies. China considers electricity, water, and AI as fundamental household utilities. An executive from the U.K. indicated that they are as receptive to conducting business with China as they are with the U.S. at present. “On the AI front, we cannot afford to delay.”

Ted Cruz on bipartisan cooperation. I interviewed Sen. Cruz (R–Texas) regarding collaboration with Democrats on certain issues and his opposition to the Trump Administration’s consideration of a bailout for the now-defunct Spirit Airlines. “I voiced my opposition early and strongly to the government acquiring 90% of Spirit Airlines’ shares. Government bailouts are almost invariably a poor decision, and the federal government lacks any expertise in managing an airline,” he stated. “Last week, I had dinner with Howard Lutnik, a close friend and the primary advocate for the bailout proposal. I informed him that it would be a more beneficial approach to place $500 million on the ground, douse it with gasoline, and ignite it. At least one would derive some warmth from that, and it could be used for roasting marshmallows.”

Contact CEO Daily via Diane Brady at diane.brady@.com