Carl Icahn Quotes & Sayings

And I'm convinced, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you can work with the unions because the unions want to survive. If they are confronted simply with the question: "Do you want this company to survive or do you want it to be broken up?" they will listen. It's their livelihood. — Carl Icahn

I can tell you how bad our boards are ... I don't have to watch Saturday Night Live anymore; I just go to the board meetings. — Carl Icahn

I have to look out for the shareholder's interests, and I'm the largest shareholder. — Carl Icahn

CEOs are paid for doing a terrible job. If the system wasn't so messed up, guys like me wouldn't make this kind of money. — Carl Icahn

I'm a cynic about corporate democracy and boards. — Carl Icahn

Had a nice conversation with Tim Cook today. Discussed my opinion that a larger buyback should be done now. We plan to speak again shortly. — Carl Icahn

I like winning. There's also a certain joy in it. I feel fulfilled by it. — Carl Icahn

When you have no one to answer to, vendetta as investment strategy is as legitimate as anything. — Carl Icahn

Anyone that makes me a quarter of a billion dollars, I like. — Carl Icahn

With some exceptions, the wrong people are running U.S. companies. It's been that way for years, and it hasn't gotten much better. — Carl Icahn

A lot of people died fighting tyranny. The least I can do is vote against it. — Carl Icahn

You learn in this business.. If you want a friend, get a dog. — Carl Icahn

You learn in this business: It you want a friend, get a dog. — Carl Icahn

Yellen's comments suggest, and I agree, that we are in an asset bubble. — Carl Icahn

Don't confuse luck with skill when judging others, and especially when judging yourself. — Carl Icahn

My wife watches me like a hawk. — Carl Icahn

I enjoy the hunt much more than the 'good life' after the victory. — Carl Icahn

We want these assets to be productive. We buy them. We own them. To say we care only about the short term is wrong. What I care about is seeing these assets in the best hands — Carl Icahn

Reuters was completely accurate that I am concerned about the level of the market. But I also made it clear on the conference call (and I believe as Reuters reported it), that it is almost impossible to predict what a market will do in the short term. There are too many variables. — Carl Icahn

In 2008, people who invested in hedge funds needed capital badly, but many of the funds would not return their money. However, I gave money back to any investor who requested it. It was the bottom of the market and a pretty tough time. — Carl Icahn

I'm no robin hood, I enjoy making the money. — Carl Icahn

A great company in the media business needs visionary leaders, not a conglomerate structure headquartered in Columbus Circle that second guesses. — Carl Icahn

When most investors, including the pros, all agree on something, they're usually wrong. — Carl Icahn

Don't go in and tell somebody else how to run their business. — Carl Icahn

Everything I have is for sale, except for my kids and possibly my wife. — Carl Icahn

Now the guy that got to the top, the CEO, would obviously be stupid to have a number two guy who was a lot smarter than he is. So by definition, since he's a survivor and he got to the top and he isn't that brilliant, his number two guy is going to always be a little worse than he is. So, as time goes on, it's anti-Darwinism, the survival of the un- fittest. — Carl Icahn

We have bloated bureaucracies in Corporate America. The root of the problem is the absence of real corporate democracy. — Carl Icahn

In life and business, there are two cardinal sins. The first is to act precipitously without thought and the second is to not act at all. — Carl Icahn

I believe there are and will be major opportunities to enhance Time Warner's value in future combinations. — Carl Icahn

When friends and acquaintances are telling you that you are a genius, before you accept their opinion, take a moment to remember what you always thought of their opinions in the past. — Carl Icahn