"I believe in the supreme worth of the individual and in his right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

"I do not think that there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature."

"Singleness of purpose is one of the chief essentials for success in life, no matter what may be one's aim."

"I believe in the dignity of labor, whether with head or hand; that the world owes no man a living but that it owes every man an opportunity to make a living."

"The most important thing for a young man is to establish credit - a reputation and character."

"Charity is injurious unless it helps the recipient to become independent of it."

"If your only goal is to become rich, you will never achieve it."

"It is wrong to assume that men of immense wealth are always happy."

"The only question with wealth is, what do you do with it?"

"I know of nothing more despicable and pathetic than a man who devotes all the hours of the waking day to the making of money for money's sake."

"Good management consists in showing average people how to do the work of superior people."

"I can think of nothing less pleasurable than a life devoted to pleasure."

"I believe that every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity an obligation; every possession, a duty."

"The most important thing for a young man is to establish a credit... a reputation, character."

"Competition is a sin."

"Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great."

"Do you know the only thing that gives me pleasure? It's to see my dividends coming in."

"The way to make money is to buy when blood is running in the streets."

"If you want to succeed you should strike out on new paths, rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success."

"I always tried to turn every disaster into an opportunity."

"I believe that every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity an obligation; every possession a duty."

"Every right implies a responsibility; Every opportunity, an obligation, Every possession, a duty."

"The ability to deal with people is as purchasable a commodity as sugar or coffee and I will pay more for that ability than for any other under the sun."

"[But longtime friend and competitor Robert Johnson, who founded BET, says,] To me, his achievements would rival those of any business person in America, ... He had charisma, tenacity and passion to convince people that there was such a thing as a black consumer market."

"A friendship founded on business is better than a business founded on friendship."

"I do not think there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature."

"I believe that thrift is essential to well-ordered living."

"Next to doing the right thing, the most important thing is to let people know you are doing the right thing."

"I have ways of making money that you know nothing of."

"Don't blame the marketing department. The buck stops with the chief executive."

"The success of each is dependent upon the success of the other."

"Good leadership consists of showing average people how to do the work of superior people."