Kenneth Moelis

Founder, Chief Executive Officer & Chairman, Moelis

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.