David Geffen

[As a child] I want to earn a thousand dollars a week, have an apartment on Ocean Parkway, and drive a Cadillac convertible.

[On school] Not only did I know that I wasn’t one of the smart kids in the class, but so did everyone else.

[On Calvin Klein asking him ‘Why don’t you call it Geffen Records?’] People in the record business just don’t do that. They come up with names likes Asylum, Capricorn, or Island. [Calvin Klein said if you put your own name on the door ‘You’ll get laid more.’]

[In 1990 on the president of MCA calling and saying ‘We’re going to make you the biggest offer this company has ever made, and I’m going to send it to you by messenger right now.’] It’s 1990. Send me a fax.

[In 1972] At the moment, we’re getting the same thrill from seeing the Eagles, Jackson Browne, Jo Jo Gunne, and Judee Sill happen… It’s as hard to do it with Jackson Browne as it was to do it with Joni five years ago.

[In 1994] I wouldn’t offer $5 million to stop a book about me! It’s absurd. People will do anything for attention.

If you are insecure, guess what? The rest of the world is, too. Do not overestimate the competition and underestimate yourself. You are better than you think.

Don’t ever call a girl fat. Even if you’re joking.

My principal sin is doubt. I doubt everything, and am in doubt most of the time.

It is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional, whatever the motivation.

I’ve never had a problem with how I look. I’d rather have lunch with friends than go to the gym.

I am always with myself, and it is I who am my tormentor.

You try to smile it away, some things you can’t disguise.

Imperfections make you beautiful, they make you who you are.

To be your own person, you need good friends. Friends are the treasure of your life.

Everyone should have enough money to get plastic surgery

My fingers are long and beautiful, as, it has been well documented, are various other parts of my body.

I enjoy being me; I always have done. I’ve seen people where it rules their lives, you know, who want to be thinner or have bigger boobs, and how it wears them down. And I don’t want that in my life.

Anna spoke not only naturally and intelligently, but intelligently and casually, without attaching any value to her own thoughts, yet giving great value to the thoughts of the one she was talking to.

I have never been insecure, ever, about how I look, about what I want to do with myself. My mum told me to only ever do things for myself, not for others.

When I look at myself in the first grade and I look at myself now, I’m basically the same. The temperament is not that different.