David Rockefeller

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.

Eventually, most people felt MoMA had filled a very important gap.

I owe much to mother. She had an expert’s understanding, but also approached art emotionally.

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

Much corporate giving is charitable in nature rather than philanthropic.

I hope the Guggenheim plan will be revived.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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 were afraid of attempts of kidnapping.

He is richest who is content with the least.

Philanthropy is involved with basic innovations that transform society, not simply maintaining the status quo or filling basic social needs that were formerly the province of the public sector.