Francis Bacon

A man must make his opportunity, as oft as find it.

There be three things which make a nation great and prosperous: a fertile soil, busy workshops, easy conveyance for men and goods from place to place.

The poets did well to conjoin music and medicine, because the office of medicine is but to tune the curious harp of man’s body.

The serpent if it wants to become the dragon must eat itself.

If a man’s wit be wandering, let him study the mathematics.

Acorns were good until bread was found.

My life with Roman was not the fairytale that the papers reported.

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

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

Much corporate giving is charitable in nature rather than philanthropic.

I am the wealthiest man, not just in Europe, but in the whole world. I collect emotions. I am wealthy in that the people of Russia have twice entrusted me with the leadership of a great nation such as Russia – I believe that is my greatest wealth.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

I think it’s sad when people make a lot of money and they want the biggest boat or the biggest car or the biggest plane.

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

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

My grandfather, along with Carnegie, was a pioneer in philanthropy, which my father then practiced on a very large scale.