David Rockefeller

Much corporate giving is charitable in nature rather than philanthropic.

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

I never kept a diary, but I wrote detailed notes of my travels.

As children we recognized that we belonged to an unusual, even exceptional, family, but the effect was different on each of us.

I suspect that many corporations have begun to understand that they have an important role to play in the lives of their communities, and that allocating funds to support local groups helps them discharge that function and also burnish their image.

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.

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.

You know, gentlemen, that I do not owe any personal income tax. But nevertheless, I send a small check, now and then, to the Internal Revenue Service out of the kindness of my heart.

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.

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.

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.

The only wealth I have to give is not material and if you need much more than that, I’m not available.

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

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.

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

90% of all millionaires become so through owning real estate.

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

Of great wealth there is no real use, except in its distribution, the rest is just conceit.

Someday I want to be rich. Some people get so rich they lose all respect for humanity. That’s how rich I want to be.

The Japanese banks are not having an easy time as they once had.