John D. Rockefeller Quotes & Sayings

It has always been my rule in business to make everything count. — John D. Rockefeller

I can think of nothing less pleasurable than a life devoted to pleasure. — John D. Rockefeller

I have ways of making money that you know nothing of. — John D. Rockefeller

Probably the greatest single obstacle to the progress and happiness of the American people lies in the willingness of so many men to invest their time and money in multiplying competitive industries instead of opening up new fields, and putting their money into lines of industry and development that are needed. — John D. Rockefeller

Often-times the most difficult competition comes, not from the strong, the intelligent, the conservative competitor, but from the man who is holding on by the eyelids and is ignorant of his costs, and anyway he's got to keep running or bust! — John D. Rockefeller

We can never learn too much of His will towards us, too much of His messages and His advice. The Bible is His word and its study gives at once the foundation for our faith and an inspiration to battle onward in the fight against the tempter. — John D. Rockefeller

I have made many millions but they have brought me no happiness. — John D. Rockefeller

Good leadership consists of showing average people how to do the work of superior people. — John D. Rockefeller

A friendship built on business can be glorious, while a business built on friendship can be murder. — John D. Rockefeller

Saddam's existing biological and chemical weapons capabilities pose a very real threat to America, now. Saddam has used chemical weapons before, both against Iraq's enemies and against his own people. He is working to develop delivery systems like missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles that could bring these deadly weapons against U.S. forces and U.S. facilities in the Middle East. — John D. Rockefeller

I always tried to turn every disaster into an opportunity. — John D. Rockefeller

Be sure that you are not deceiving yourself at any time about actual conditions. — John D. Rockefeller

Our cup will truly run over only after we have sealed the character cracks. — John D. Rockefeller

Competition is a sin. — John D. Rockefeller

After it is all over, the religion of man is his most important possession. — John D. Rockefeller

The only question with wealth is, what do you do with it? — John D. Rockefeller

God gave me my money. — John D. Rockefeller

I believe that every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every possession, a duty. — John D. Rockefeller

Next to doing the right thing, the most important thing is to let people know you are doing the right thing. — John D. Rockefeller

If your only goal is to become rich, you will never achieve it. — John D. Rockefeller

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

The ability to deal with people is as purchasable a commodity as sugar or coffee. And I will pay more for that ability. — John D. Rockefeller

The task is simple. We will organize children and teach them in a perfect way the things their fathers and mothers are doing in an imperfect way. — John D. Rockefeller

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. — John D. Rockefeller

Believing that fundamental conditions of the country are sound and there is nothing in the business situation to warrant the destruction of values that has taken place on the exchanges during the past week, my son and I have for some days been purchasing sound common stocks. We are continuing and will continue our purchases in substantial amounts at levels which we believe represent sound investment values. — John D. Rockefeller

Don't blame the marketing department. The buck stops with the chief executive. — John D. Rockefeller

Homeopathy is a progressive and aggressive step in medicine. — John D. Rockefeller

When a man has accumulated a sum of money, accumulated it within the law, the Government has no right to share in its earnings. — John D. Rockefeller

A friendship founded on business is better than a business founded on friendship — John D. Rockefeller

If my name were John D Smith IV I wouldn't have been elected to anything. — John D. Rockefeller

The man who starts out simply with the idea of getting rich won't succeed, you must have a larger ambition. — John D. Rockefeller

Get rich by taking something common and making it uncommon. — John D. Rockefeller

I believe that thrift is essential to well-ordered living. — John D. Rockefeller

I was early taught to work as well as play,
My life has been one long, happy holiday;
Full of work and full of play-
I dropped the worry on the way-
And God was good to me every day. — John D. Rockefeller

I never would have been able to tithe the first million dollars I ever made if I had not tithed my first salary, which was $1.50 per week. — John D. Rockefeller

What constitutes a good manager in this field? He must be knowledgeable in the art with which he is concerned, an impresario, labor negotiator, diplomat, educator, publicity and public relations expert, politician, skilled businessman, a social sophisticate, a servant of the community, a tireless leader - becomingly humble before authority - a teacher, a tyrant, and a continuing student of the arts. — John D. Rockefeller

The most important thing for a young man is to establish a credit ... a reputation, character. — John D. Rockefeller

The major fortunes in America have been made in land. — John D. Rockefeller

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

The American Beauty Rose can be produced in the splendor and fragrance which bring cheer to its beholder only by sacrificing the early buds which grow up around it. This is not an evil tendency in business. It is merely the working-out of a law of nature and a law of God. — John D. Rockefeller

And we are never too old to study the Bible. Each time the lessons are studied comes some new meaning, some new thought which will make us better. — John D. Rockefeller

The impression was gaining ground with me that it was a good thing to let the money be my slave and not make myself a slave to money. — John D. Rockefeller

I should say in general the advantage of education is to better fit a man for life's work. I would advise young men to take a college course, as a rule, but think some are just as well off with a thorough business training. — John D. Rockefeller

I shall use such influence as I have in emphasizing the basic truths common to all denominations, in lowering denominational barriers and in promoting effective cooperation among Christians of whatever creed. — John D. Rockefeller

The day of combination is here to stay. Individualism has gone, never to return. — John D. Rockefeller

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

Long ago I lost the joy in living. The only joy I have is in my giving. — John D. Rockefeller

The best business in the world is a well run oil company. The second best business in the world is a badly run oil company. — John D. Rockefeller

Let the good work go on. We must ever remember we are refining oil for the poor man and he must have it cheap and good. — John D. Rockefeller

The only thing which is of lasting benefit to a man is that which he does for himself. Money which comes to him without effort on his part is seldom a benefit and often a curse. — John D. Rockefeller

Singleness of purpose is essential for success in life. — John D. Rockefeller

I think it is a man's duty to make all the money he can, keep all that he can and give away all that he can. — John D. Rockefeller

Many of the deficiencies of our economic system could be alleviated if ways were found to broaden the ownership of the means of production ... This has happened in some companies through ESOPs. Successful approaches of this sort would pay dividends in terms of employee commitment and morale. And they would not deprive anyone of his present holdings since they are based on future growth. — John D. Rockefeller

I cheat my boys every chance I get. I trade with the boys and skin 'em and I just beat 'em every time I can. I want to make 'em sharp. — John D. Rockefeller

God gave me my money. I believe the power to make money is a gift from God . to be developed and used to the best of our ability for the good of mankind. Having been endowed with the gift I possess, I believe it is my duty to make money and still more money and to use the money I make for the good of my fellow man according to the dictates of my conscience. — John D. Rockefeller

Nobody does anything if he can get anybody else to do it — John D. Rockefeller

How much money does it take to make a man happy? Just one more dollar. — John D. Rockefeller

Charity is injurious unless it helps the recipient to become independent of it. — John D. Rockefeller

The best philanthropy is constantly in search of the finalities-a search for a cause, an attempt to cure evils at their source. — John D. Rockefeller

There is nothing in this world that can compare with the Christian fellowship; nothing that can satisfy but Christ. — John D. Rockefeller

You know that great prejudice exists against all successful business enterprise - the more successful, the greater the prejudice. — John D. Rockefeller

Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great. — John D. Rockefeller

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. — John D. Rockefeller

Giving is the secret to a healthy life. Not necessarily money, but whatever a person has to give of encouragement, sympathy, and understanding. — John D. Rockefeller

My mother was given to a typical question: "We have always done this. Why should we do anything else?" But my wife's typical question was "We have always done this. Why don't we do it another way or, better still, why not do something else?" — John D. Rockefeller

There is no feeling in this world to be compared with self-reliance
do not sacrifice that to anything else. — John D. Rockefeller

I was trained from the beginning to work, to save. I have always regarded it a as a religious duty to get all I could honorably and to give all I could. — John D. Rockefeller

The poorest man I know is the man who has nothing but money. — John D. Rockefeller

We are coming to see that there should be no stifling of labor by capital, or of capital by labor; and also that there should be no stifling of labor by labor, or of capital by capital. — John D. Rockefeller

I would rather earn 1% off a 100 people's efforts than 100% of my own efforts. — John D. Rockefeller

I believe the power to make money is a gift from God ... to be developed and used to the best of our ability for the good of mankind. — John D. Rockefeller

When work goes out of style we may expect to see civilization totter and fall. — John D. Rockefeller

I was born into it and there was nothing I could do about it. It was there, like air or food, or any other element. The only question with wealth is what you do with it. — John D. Rockefeller

It is wrong to assume that men of immense wealth are always happy. — John D. Rockefeller

I would rather hire a man with enthusiasm, than a man who knows everything. — John D. Rockefeller

Think of giving not only as a duty but as a privilege. — John D. Rockefeller

Money is a way of keeping COUNT on how well you're doing in business. — John D. Rockefeller

I have no use for men who fail. The cause of their failure is no business of mine, but I want successful men as my associates. — John D. Rockefeller

I don't want a nation of thinkers, I want a nation of workers — John D. Rockefeller

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. — John D. Rockefeller

Never lose interest in life and the world. Never allow yourself to become annoyed. — John D. Rockefeller

We are quite convinced that if he were alive today, as an astute businessman looking out to the future, he would be moving out of fossil fuels and investing in clean, renewable energy. — John D. Rockefeller

Character - not wealth, power, or position - is the supreme word. — John D. Rockefeller

The way to make money is to buy when blood is running in the streets. — John D. Rockefeller

A man's wealth must be determined by the relation of his desires and expenditures to his income. If he feels rich on ten dollars, and has everything else he desires, he really is rich. — John D. Rockefeller

The secret to success is to do the common things uncommonly well. — John D. Rockefeller

Oh, how blessed young men are who have to struggle for a foundation and beginning in life. — John D. Rockefeller

When Prohibition was introduced, I hoped that it would be widely supported by public opinion and the day would soon come when the evil effects of alcohol would be recognised. I have slowly and reluctantly come to believe that this has not been the result. Instead, drinking has generally increased; the speakeasy has replaced the saloon; a vast army of lawbreakers has appeared; many of our best citizens have openly ignored Prohibition; respect for the law has been greatly lessened; and crime has increased to a level never seen before. — John D. Rockefeller

Taxation has its limitations as a method of achieving better economic distribution since for this purpose it is essentially remedial. We must also take a positive approach by finding new ways to spread ownership of future capital growth more broadly in our society. — John D. Rockefeller

Giving should be entered into in just the same way as investing. Giving is investing. — John D. Rockefeller

The person who starts out simply with the idea of getting rich won't succeed; you must have a larger ambition. There is no mystery in business success. If you do each day's task successfully, and stay faithfully within these natural operations of commercial laws which I talk so much about, and keep your head clear, you will come out all right. — John D. Rockefeller

A man has no right to occupy another man's time unnecessarily — John D. Rockefeller

This Sunday School has been of help to me, greater perhaps than any other force in my Christian life, and I can ask no better things for you than that you, and all that shall come after you in this great band of workers for Christ, shall receive the same measure of blessedness which I have been permitted to have. — John D. Rockefeller

Never think you need to apologize for asking someone to give to a worthy cause, any more than as though you were giving him or her an opportunity to participate in a high-grade investment. The duty of giving is as much his or hers as is the duty of asking yours. — John D. Rockefeller

Own nothing, control everything. — John D. Rockefeller

To think! All that power and he wasn't even rich! — John D. Rockefeller

It is very important to remember what other people tell you, not so much what you yourself already know. — John D. Rockefeller

I never placed my head upon the pillow at night without reminding myself that my success might only be temporary. — John D. Rockefeller

Save when you can and not when you have to. — John D. Rockefeller

In the same way the failures which a man makes in his life are due almost always to some defect in his personality, some weakness of body, or mind, or character, will, or temperament. The only way to overcome these failings is to build up his personality from within, so that he, by virtue of what is within him, may overcome the weakness which was the cause of the failure. It is only those efforts the man himself puts forth that can really help him. — John D. Rockefeller