Cornelius Vanderbilt II

"The beauty of business is that it rewards both innovation and reliability in equal measure."

"I have learned more from my failures than from my successes."

"To lead men, you must first understand what drives them – ambition, fear, or hope."

"The man who complains about his circumstances is the man who has not yet taken control of them."

"I believe in competition – it brings out the best in men and the best in business."

"Nothing worth having comes easily – if it did, everyone would have it."

"A handshake and a man's word should be as binding as any legal document."

"The key to longevity in business is to never stop questioning your own assumptions."

"I have built my fortune not by taking from others, but by creating value that did not previously exist."

"The powerful are those who can see what others cannot yet perceive."

"One must cultivate relationships with care and attention, just as one would a garden."

"I have found that the most successful men are those who surround themselves with men smarter than themselves."

"The pursuit of excellence should be relentless and uncompromising."

"When you control the rails, you control the nation – this much I understood from the beginning."

"A man's reputation is worth more than all the gold in his vaults."

"I do not fear my competitors – I welcome the challenge they present."

"The secret to happiness is to engage fully in whatever work you undertake."

"Tradition and innovation must dance together – honor the past while building the future."

"I have learned that the most important investment is always in people."

"The man who cannot make a decision will never accomplish anything of significance."

"Progress requires the willingness to risk everything you have for something you believe in."

"I measure my success not by my net worth, but by the opportunities I have created for others."

"The strongest fortunes are built on the bedrock of consistency and reliability."

"To understand the future, one must study the past with careful attention and genuine interest."

"I have never sought the approval of others – I have only sought to do what I believed was right."

"The man who is afraid to fail is the man who will never truly succeed."

"Business is fundamentally about solving human problems through ingenuity and effort."

"I believe that a well-organized empire is stronger than a disorganized fortune."

"The test of a man's character is how he treats those who have nothing to offer him."

"I have always maintained that the customer is the true master of any business."