The Right Answer: on Corporations

Bob Dole: 1980: Patent changes let companies commercialize innovation

This made no sense at all. Why pour all that money into research if you're not going to use its fruits? That was the question asked by two senators from opposite sides of the aisle, Democrat Birch Bayh and Republican Bob Dole. Together they sponsored the Patent and Trademark Law Amendments Act of 1980, which allowed institutions to commercialize innovations that came out of government-funded research. Bayh-Dole was a classic example of a successful marriage between the public and private sectors, one that had real-world benefits.

John Delaney: Founded Leddel Health with fellow law school student

John Delaney: Early adopter of healthcare "capitation" business model

This was the early 1990s, a time when intravenous medicines were increasingly being delivered in the home, mostly for patients suffering from HIV/AIDS or cancer. Ethan and I pivoted and started our own home infusion company, which we named American Home Therapies.

John Delaney: Founded HealthPartners Financial; sold for $500M in 1999

We set up shop, named our fledging firm HealthPartners Financial Corporation (later changed to HealthCare Financial Partners), the business took off.

On the day of our initial public offering, in September 1996, Health Care Financial Partners was worth $86 million.

We kept on growing the business, hiring people, and financing hundreds of health care companies. In 1999, we sold our company to Heller Financial for $500 million.