Francis Bacon

Judges must beware of hard constructions and strained inferences, for there is no worse torture than that of laws.

The mould of a man’s fortune is in his own hands.

Natural abilities are like natural plants; they need pruning by study.

For knowledge itself is power.

It was prettily devised of Aesop, The fly sat on the axle tree of the chariot wheel and said, what dust do I raise!

Riches are a good hand maiden, but a poor mistress.

Be not penny-wise. Riches have wings. Sometimes they fly away of themselves, and sometimes they must be set flying to bring in more.

Money can add very much to one’s ability to lead a constructive life, not only pleasant for oneself, but, hopefully, beneficial to others.

He is richest who is content with the least.

If necessity is the mother of invention, discontent is the father of progress.

I would be a billionaire if I was looking to be a selfish boss. That’s not me.

Abramovich’s got six yachts which are just gigantic and you think, ‘What a waste of money. He could transform so many people’s lives if he put that money to good use.

I always knew I was going to be rich. I don’t think I ever doubted it for a minute.

When I see something I like, I buy it, but I do not look for it madly.

very day I get up and look through the Forbes list of the richest people in America. If I’m not there, I go to work.

Wealth – any income that is at least one hundred dollars more a year than the income of one’s wife’s sister’s husband.

I am convinced that material things can contribute a lot to making one’s life pleasant, but, basically, if you do not have very good friends and relatives who matter to you, life will be really empty and sad and material things cease to be important.

We went to theatres and museums with a crowd of bodyguards.

Guilt for being rich, and guilt thinking that perhaps love and peace isn’t enough and you have to go and get shot or something.

When you have a lot of resources, the most important thing is to have had good parents and to have been brought up by people who gave one the proper values.

Much corporate giving is charitable in nature rather than philanthropic.