CNBC Transcript: Lionel Richie Speaks With CNBC's Squawk Box Today

Following is the unofficial transcript of a CNBC interview with Lionel Richie on CNBC's "Squawk Box" (M-F 6AM-9AM) today, Wednesday February 14. Following is a link to video from the interview on CNBC.com here!

JOE KERNEN: LEGENDARY LOVE SONG LYRICIST - HE'S MUCH MORE THAN THAT - LIONEL RICHIE IS WITH US THIS VALENTINE'S DAY TO DISCUSS HIS NEW FOUND LOVE: VENTURE CAPITAL INVESTMENT. LIONEL RICHIE GRAMMY AND OSCAR-WINNING SINGER, SONGWRITER, AND NEWLY MINTED VENTURE CAPITAL INVESTOR JOINS US NOW. AND, CAN YOU PROMISE - THIS COULD BE THE BEGINNING OF A BEAUTIFUL RELATIONSHIP, MR. RICHIE, BUT IF YOU DO EVER GET BACK HERE -- WE THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO BE ON SET FOR A WHILE AND THE EXCITEMENT WAS PALPABLE, BUT THIS IS GOOD ENOUGH.

ANDREW ROSS SORKIN: IT STILL IS.

KERNEN: IT IS.

SORKIN: I'M "DANCING ON THE CEILING."

KERNEN: YES, BUT NEXT TIME YOU'RE HERE, WILL YOU COME IN?

LIONEL RICHIE: THAT'S A PROMISE. AND I'M SO HAPPY. THAT'S AN ABSOLUTE PROMISE. I MUST TELL YOU - JOE, ANDREW, BECKY, LET ME TELL YOU, I'M SO HAPPY TO HEAR THAT YOU ALL ARE HAVING SLEEP PROBLEMS OVER THERE BECAUSE I'M THINKING YOU ALL DO THIS EVERY DAY IN THE MORNING THIS IS NOT ROCK AND ROLL TIME, YOU DO KNOW THAT, RIGHT?

KERNEN: UNLESS -- UNLESS -- AS WE HAVE SAID MANY TIMES, UNLESS YOU'RE STILL UP. THAT'S THE ONLY TIME.

RICHIE: THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.

KERNEN: THAT'S THE ONLY TIME MAYBE THAT IT WORKS. WHAT A CAREER, OBVIOUSLY. AND SOME OF THE MOST ICONIC - YOU LOOK -- I LOOKED THROUGH A LIST JUST TO GET THEM ALL, AND IT'S LIKE, OH, MY GOD. I FORGET SOME OF THEM. THERE ARE SO MANY THAT WE KNOW THAT IT'S JUST -- WHAT A CAREER. FANTASTIC. BUT, NOW VENTURE CAPITAL AND I THINK WE'VE HAD NICK ON.

RICHIE: YOU DID.

KERNEN: WE HAD NICK HERE BEFORE.

RICHIE: YOU HAD NICK ON.

KERNEN: WHAT AN IDEA. AND IF YOU COULD GO INTO, YOU KNOW, YOUR BACKGROUND, HOW YOU WERE RAISED AND I REMEMBER, TOO, THOSE LITTLE CASES THAT THE GP WOULD BRING WHEN HE WOULD SHOW UP AT YOUR HOUSE. THAT'S LIKE UNHEARD OF BUT MAYBE POSSIBLE TO DO IT AGAIN.

RICHIE: IT WAS THE EASIEST PITCH EVER IN LIFE TO COME INTO - THEY SAID, "LIONEL, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS? I WANT TO RUN THE IDEA BY YOU AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK OF IT. A DOCTOR COMES TO YOUR HOUSE HE ACTUALLY WILL BE THERE IN ABOUT AN HOUR OR LESS FOR $99, YOU CAN ACTUALLY - COVERS INSURANCE. A DOCTOR WILL COME TO YOUR HOME TO DELIVER MEDICAL SERVICES." AND I SAID, "THAT'S THE NEW IDEA? "AND THE GUY SAID, "YEAH, WHAT DO YOU THINK?" I SAID, "I GREW UP WITH THAT IDEA." I MEAN, THAT'S NOT THE IDEA, THAT WAS HOW IT WAS. AND SO WE CAN NOW DO THIS INSTANTANEOUSLY. WE HAVE THE APP. YOU ARE COMPLETELY IN CONTROL WITH THE DOCTOR. THE DOCTOR KNOWS ALL OF YOUR VITALS. YOU DEVELOP A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR DOCTOR. I MEAN, THAT'S THE NEW OLD THING. AND OF COURSE WHEN NICK PRESENTED IT TO ME I WAS ON IMMEDIATELY. I SAID, "THAT'S THE SOLUTION TO HEALTH CARE BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE FIND IT SO DIFFICULT TO ACTUALLY GET TO THE DOCTOR, TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH A DOCTOR. AND IF YOU CAN HAVE THAT PERSONAL ATTENTION IN YOUR OWN HOME, THAT'S THE BEGINNING OF GREAT HEALTH CARE."

KERNEN: YEAH. THE INTERNET OBVIOUSLY - WITH THE PROMISE OF THE INTERNET, WE TRY TO FIGURE OUT THE WAY IT DRIVES DOWN COST. AND THAT'S THE ONLY WAY IT'S POSSIBLE TO MAKE IT AFFORDABLE WITH PEOPLE, AND, YOU KNOW, WORTH WHILE FOR THE DOCTOR, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE GUYS SPEND A LONG TIME IN SCHOOL AND THEY'RE PRETTY WELL COMPENSATED. SO, IT SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE PROHIBITIVELY EXPENSIVE TO GET DOCTORS TO DO IT. ONLY POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE INTERNET I GUESS, AND HAVING THE RIGHT APPLICATION.

RICHIE: ALSO WHAT THEY HAVE AVAILABLE NOW, WHICH IS A NEW APP, YOU ACTUALLY HAVE ALL OF YOUR VITALS.

KERNEN: RIGHT, ALREADY THERE.

RICHIE: ALREADY THERE FOR THE DOCTOR TO READ. ALL YOU DO IS PUT YOUR FINGER IN THE LITTLE APPARATUS THEY HAVE AND THE DOCTOR'S TALKING TO YOU IN REAL TIME, REAL MEDICINE.

SORKIN: LIONEL, WHILE WE HAVE YOU, WE ALL SAW YOU ON THE SUPER BOWL AD FOR T.D. AMERITRADE. "ALL NIGHT LONG" 24-HOUR TRADING, WHICH WAS THE REASON YOU WERE DOING IT AT THE END IT HAD A LITTLE TAG ABOUT BITCOIN. AND I WAS CURIOUS, ARE YOU TRADING ANY BITCOIN? BUYING ANY BITCOIN?

RICHIE: DO YOU KNOW WHAT, I MISSED BITCOIN. BITCOIN AT THE TIME WAS SOMETHING THAT FLOATED PAST MY TABLE AND I KEPT THINKING, "I'LL GET BACK TO THAT." BUT, YOU KNOW WHAT, I MISSED BITCOIN, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE VERY POPULAR. I'M STILL -- I STILL HAVE MY EYE ON IT BUT IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT AT THE TIME IT CAME ACROSS MY DESK I WASN'T THAT KEEN ON IT, BUT IT'S GOING TO -- LOOKS LIKE ITS GOING TO TAKE OFF AND GET KIND OF INTERESTING.

SORKIN: AND NOW THAT YOU'RE A T.D. AMERITRADE MAN, ARE YOU PLAYING THE MARKETS EVERY DAY?

RICHIE: WELL LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING. I AM NOW ASKING MORE QUESTIONS THAN EVER. NOW THAT I HAVE MY FOLKS AROUND ME AND OF COURSE, ONCE THEY SAID THE COMMERCIAL, I SAID, "GUYS, I WANT TO GET IN. I WANT TO PLAY WITH THIS." AND OF COURSE, NOW THEY ARE PLAYING WITH ME. I'M LOVING IT. I MUST TELL YOU. IT'S A NEW PASTIME TRUTHFULLY.

KERNEN: I CAN'T BELIEVE WE DON'T HAVE ANY MORE TIME. YOU HAVE SOME GUYS ADVISING YOU. YURI MILNER AND OTHERS. I THINK, YOU OUGHT TO COME BACK, NUMBER ONE. AND EVERY PLATINUM RECORD YOU HAVE YOU SHOULD PICK A DIFFERENT VC INVESTMENT AND FOLLOW IT THAT WAY. BUT WE'VE GOT TO GO. NEXT TIME YOU'RE IN NEW YORK, FOR WHATEVER IT IS, WILL YOU STOP IN THE STUDIO? BUT IT'S EARLY - IT'S EARLY. WE APPRECIATE IT.

RICHIE: I PROMISE. I PROMISE I'LL BE THERE, WITHOUT A DOUBT.

BECKY QUICK: WE LOVE YOU.

RICHIE: TAKE CARE, YOU GUYS.

SORKIN: THANK YOU.

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