J. Paul Getty

“My formula for success is rise early, work late, and strike oil.”

“A marriage contract to me is as binding as any in business, and I have always believed in sticking to an agreement.”

“The man who comes up with a means for doing or producing almost anything better, faster or more economically has his future and his fortune at his fingertips.”

“During the 1950s, Aristotle Onassis and I formed what grew to be a close friendship and association in several business ventures.”

“If you can count your money, you don't have a billion dollars.”

“You cannot further the Brotherhood of Man by encouraging class hatred.”

“What I learned at Oxford has been used to great advantage throughout my business career.”

“Oil is like a wild animal. Whoever captures it has it.”

“I am neither a homosexual nor a eunuch, nor have I ever taken any vows of chastity.”

“There are heads of royal families who control hereditary fortunes that defy comprehension.”

“No one can possibly achieve any real and lasting success or 'get rich' in business by being a conformist.”

“Before marriage, many couples are very much like people rushing to catch an airplane; once aboard, they turn into passengers. They just sit there.”

“I vehemently deny that I was born a cynic and a pessimist.”

“Jack Dempsey and I became friends in the very early 1920s.”

“You cannot bring about prosperity without discouraging thrift.”

“My wealth is not a subject I relish discussing.”

“Formula for success: rise early, work hard, strike oil.”

“The employer generally gets the employees he deserves.”

“Books, like proverbs, receive their chief value from the stamp and esteem of the ages through which they have passed.”

“My love of fine art increased - the more of it I saw, the more of it I wanted to see.”