CEOInterviews.AI
Start App
Try: AI strategy tariffs earnings guidance layoffs interest rates growth

Kenneth Moelis

Founder, Chief Executive Officer & Chairman, Moelis & Company

Search every verified Kenneth Moelis interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Kenneth Moelis, founder and CEO of Moelis & Company, discussed the founding of his independent investment bank in 2007 during a recent appearance on the podcast "War Stories over Board Games." He recounted leaving his senior executive role at UBS to start the firm shortly before the global financial crisis, noting that he observed what he described as bad decision-making within investment banks driven by large capital flows into structured mortgages. Moelis stated that while he did not diagnose the underlying problem at the time, he saw the symptoms and decided to opt out of that environment. During the conversation, Moelis also addressed rumors that his firm was in financial trouble during the crisis. He mentioned that Blackstone CEO Steve Schwarzman later introduced him by saying that many people had thought Moelis & Company would go bankrupt, a claim Moelis said he was unaware of at the time. The discussion also included lighthearted moments, such as playing a board game and joking about declaring himself the winner.

Recent appearances

  • Trump Wanted to Flip a Coin for My Fee | Ken Moelis' War Story

    October 07, 2026 · 📺 Institutional Investor

    In the early 1990s, Ken Moelis sat down with Donald Trump to pitch his services on a restructuring. The meeting went well, until it came time to talk fees. Trump countered with roughly half of what Moelis asked, and after some back and forth, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a coin, and suggested they settle it with a flip. In this episode of War Stories over Board Games, Moelis tells Institutional Investor's Julie Segal what went through his mind in the seconds before the coin left Trump's hand, and what the moment taught him about how entrepreneurs make decisions. He also shares a stor…

    Watch on YouTube ↗

  • Starting a Bank Right Before the Crash | Ken Moelis' War Story

    October 07, 2026 · 📺 Institutional Investor

    In 2007, Ken Moelis walked away from his role as a senior executive at UBS to launch his own independent investment bank. Within months, the global financial system was in freefall. Lehman Brothers collapsed, credit markets froze, and the giants of Wall Street were fighting for survival. For a brand-new firm still building its client list and its team, it could have been the end before it began. Instead, Moelis & Company grew into one of the leading independent advisory firms, eventually going public in 2014. In this episode of War Stories over Board Games, Moelis looks back on what it took to…

    Watch on YouTube ↗

  • Ken Moelis, Discusses the Structural Resilience of Private Credit Markets Against Public Market

    April 23, 2026 · 📺 FII Institute

    Ken Moelis, Executive Chairman of Moelis & Company, discusses the structural resilience of private credit markets against public market volatility and explores the unprecedented, transformative impact of the AI revolution on global finance.

    Read the verified transcript → Watch on YouTube ↗

  • In Conversation with Ken Moelis, Founder and Executive Chairman of Moelis & Company

    March 23, 2026 · 📺 Edinburgh University Private Equity Society

    Ken Moelis is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Moelis & Company, where he has built one of the world’s leading independent investment banks since its founding in 2007. Over a career spanning more than four decades, he has advised companies and institutions through some of the most consequential moments in global markets. Before founding Moelis & Company, Ken served as President of UBS Investment Bank and previously held senior roles at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette. He began his career at Drexel Burnham Lambert. In this conversation, Ken talks to Aryan Chibber about the start of his care…

    Read the verified transcript → Watch on YouTube ↗

  • Ken Moelis on Greenland: ‘A real sigh of relief’ after Trump took military action off the table

    January 21, 2026 · 📺 CNBC Television

    Ken Moelis, founder and executive chairman at Moelis & Co., joins 'Money Movers' to discuss Greenland, market themes, and more. For access to live and exclusive video from CNBC subscribe to CNBC PRO: https://cnb.cx/42d859g » Subscribe to CNBC TV: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBCtelevision » Subscribe to CNBC: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBC » Watch CNBC on the go with CNBC+: https://www.cnbc.com/WatchCNBCPlus Turn to CNBC TV for the latest stock market news and analysis. From market futures to live price updates CNBC is the leader in business news worldwide. Connect with CNBC News Online Get the l…

    Read the verified transcript → Watch on YouTube ↗

  • Moelis & Company's founder: AI is going to change every company’s go-to-market strategy

    October 28, 2025 · 📺 CNBC Television

    Moelis & Company's Founder Ken Moelis sits down with CNBC's Sara Eisen at the FII conference in Riyadh to discuss outlooks on business in the Middle East, market expectations, and much more. For access to live and exclusive video from CNBC subscribe to CNBC PRO: https://cnb.cx/42d859g » Subscribe to CNBC TV: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBCtelevision » Subscribe to CNBC: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBC » Watch CNBC on the go with CNBC+: https://www.cnbc.com/WatchCNBCPlus Turn to CNBC TV for the latest stock market news and analysis. From market futures to live price updates CNBC is the leader in b…

    Watch on YouTube ↗

  • Ken Moelis: Middle East is one of the top IPO markets in the world right now

    October 29, 2024 · 📺 CNBC Television

    Ken Moelis, Moelis & Co. founder, chairman and CEO, joins 'Money Movers' to discuss the excitement around investing in Saudi Arabia, Moelis' role in investing in Saudi Arabia, if geopolitical risks are hurting the prospects of investment in Saudi Arabia.

    Watch on YouTube ↗

  • Most of our expansion in the Middle East will be in Saudi Arabia, says Moelis & Company CEO

    October 24, 2023 · 📺 CNBC International Live

    Ken Moelis, Moelis & Company CEO, discusses its expansion in the Middle East.

    Watch on YouTube ↗

  • Ken Moelis on Inflation, Tech Hirings, M&A

    May 23, 2023 · 📺 Bloomberg Television

    Ken Moelis, chairman and chief executive officer of Moelis & Co., discusses the path of US inflation, hiring former Silicon Valley Bank managing directors following its collapse, and outlook for mergers and acquisitions. He speaks with Bloomberg's Francine Lacqua on "Bloomberg Surveillance." The government of the State of Qatar is the underwriter of the Qatar Economic Forum, Powered by Bloomberg. Follow Bloomberg for business news & analysis, up-to-the-minute market data, features, profiles and more: http://www.bloomberg.com Connect with us on... Twitter:   / business   Facebook:   / bloomber…

    Watch on YouTube ↗

  • Financial markets will get better ahead of the economy, says Ken Moelis

    January 19, 2023 · 📺 CNBC Television

    Ken Moelis, Moelis and Co. Founder and CEO, joins 'Closing Bell' to offer his impressions from Davos, discussing capital misallocation, geopolitical tensions and energy markets. For access to live and exclusive video from CNBC subscribe to CNBC PRO: https://cnb.cx/2NGeIvi » Subscribe to CNBC TV: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBCtelevision » Subscribe to CNBC: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBC Turn to CNBC TV for the latest stock market news and analysis. From market futures to live price updates CNBC is the leader in business news worldwide. Connect with CNBC News Online Get the latest news: http://w…

    Watch on YouTube ↗

  • Fed's Jackson Hole comments led to a rapid increase in volatility, says Moelis & Company CEO

    October 18, 2022 · 📺 CNBC Television

    Ken Moelis of Moelis & Company joins 'Closing Bell' to discuss Fed policy, the Inflation Reduction Act and what he sees heading into the midterm elections. For access to live and exclusive video from CNBC subscribe to CNBC PRO: https://cnb.cx/2NGeIvi » Subscribe to CNBC TV: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBCtelevision » Subscribe to CNBC: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBC Turn to CNBC TV for the latest stock market news and analysis. From market futures to live price updates CNBC is the leader in business news worldwide. The News with Shepard Smith is CNBC’s daily news podcast providing deep, non-part…

    Watch on YouTube ↗

  • Ken Moelis Founder and CEO, Moelis & Company “Check your premises the key to successes"

    September 13, 2022 · 📺 Atlas Award

    Ken Moelis Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Moelis & Company. “Check your premises the key to successes" בדוק את הנחותיך - המפתח להצלחה בעסקים קן מואליס, מייסד ומנהל בנק ההשקעות מואליס TheMarker | TheMarker Labels "כל יזם צריך להבין מהו סט הערכים שלו, וללכת איתם עד הסוף" קן מואליס, מנטור רוחני עם מעל 40 שנות ותק בתחום ההשקעות, סיפר באירוע הענקת פרס האטלס, שנערך בבורסה לניירות ערך כיצד ספרה של איין ראנד ליווה אותו בצמתים החשובים בחייו: "הבנתי שאני לא לבד" https://www.themarker.com/labels/2021...

    Watch on YouTube ↗

Notable quotes

“I think that the private markets are here to stay. There are people who want to invest for long periods of time 5 to 10 years put their money to work in these illiquid situations. Again my point on this has been that what started out as a premium that you would get as an investor you would get excess return for being illiquid in the recent years has almost turned into you've had to pay for the privilege of being priv”

“The private credit markets have been in the news a lot but this is no different. I mean the banking system has had $20 billion of private credit and nobody marks their loans to market every day. And really the main difference is this is what happened to Silicon Valley Bank three years ago. They had five-year loans but they had 5-second deposits. And so within 24 hours they had lost all their funding and went bankrupt”

“The real question is, what's your time frame for success in a business? So, I've always had kind of an infinite time frame. As I've gotten older, I realize that I'm not actually going to live to infinity. I used to not just assume that, but now I guess it's becoming clear that might not happen. But I always had an infinite time frame and the most important asset in that time frame and it will be for all of you is you”

“I still think we're in a world right now where scale matters. Access to capital, access to energy. And that's where I think Europe's biggest problem is if you don't have cheap energy, look what's going on with their chemical industry. When you look at industries that are big users of energy, Europe just cannot compete. And by the way, these things are essential to everyday living. Making of automobiles, manufacturing”

“I think there was a real sigh of relief that he took military action off the table with Greenland, which, you know, for President Trump, it's unusual for ever to take an option off the table. So I think that was a big sigh of relief for everybody. So now we're down to whether or not Greenland is better off and whether there's what I if we do M&A for a living. And I always say the heart of M&A is finding assets that a”

Other executives at Moelis & Company

The summary and quote tags on this profile are produced with AI assistance from verified, first-person interview transcripts, then checked by our team to confirm the speaker's identity and the accuracy of every quote. See how we verify →