Vladimir Putin

With regards to big business, I spoke about this a few years ago at one of the public meetings with our business leaders. I warned them that this situation, which we see today, could develop. I warned them about this and recommended at the time that our business keeps its capital in Russia.

As far as oligarchs who acquire sports team abroad, and invest money abroad, I wouldn’t treat this phenomenon as something bad.

The philosophy of FIFA is to expand world soccer space, to spread out the world football space.

What is a uni-polar world? No matter how we beautify this term, it means one single centre of power, one single centre of force and one single master.

At last, Russia has returned to the world arena as a strong state – a country that others heed and that can stand up for itself.

The more intermediaries there are, the more problems there are.

Much corporate giving is charitable in nature rather than philanthropic.

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.

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.

We were afraid of attempts of kidnapping.

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 always knew I was going to be rich. I don’t think I ever doubted it for a minute.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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