David Rockefeller

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

The Japanese have a wonderful sense of design and a refinement in their art. They try to produce beautiful paintings with the minimum number of strokes.

Mother’s interest in contemporary American artists emerged during the 1920s.

One cannot expect to coast along and rise automatically to the top, no matter what friends you may have in the company. There may have been a time when, in large corporations, a person could rise simply because he had a stock interest or because he had friends in top management. That’s not true today. Success in business requires training and discipline and hard work. But if you’re not frightened by these things, the opportunities are just as great today as they ever were.

I can only say that I have had a wonderful life.

I do not like to be unkind.

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.

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.

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.

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.

No man’s fortune can be an end worthy of his being.

Much corporate giving is charitable in nature rather than philanthropic.

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

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

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.

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

We were afraid of attempts of kidnapping.

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.