Michael Milken

Without question many leading entrepreneurs of the 1980s owe their success at least partly to Milken's perception of this market opportunity. Milken himself points out that high-yield bonds go back hundreds of years having been issued by the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 17th century and by America's first Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton. 2013 SEC investigation
In February 2013 the SEC announced that they were investigating whether or not Milken violated his lifetime ban from the securities industry.

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Since his release from prison Milken has funded medical research. Much of that wealth comes from his success as a bond trader; he only had four losing months in 17 years of trading. Milken was sentenced to ten years in prison fined $600 million and permanently barred from the securities industry by the Securities and Exchange Commission.