Cornelius Vanderbilt

Shipping & Railroad American 1794 – 1877

Built railroad and shipping empire, dominated American transportation.

374 quotes

"The man who complains accomplishes nothing."
Perseverance
"My greatest competition came from men with nothing to lose."
Courage
"The age of small thinking has passed; embrace the grand vision."
Inspiration
"I built networks before networks were fashionable."
Relationships
"The wealthy have a responsibility to invest in progress."
Wisdom
"A moment of hesitation can cost a man his entire fortune."
Courage
"The future belongs to those who understand transportation."
"I never hired a man I did not trust completely."
Leadership
"The greatest fortunes are built on providing essential services."
Success
"A clear vision is worth a thousand vague ambitions."
Wisdom
"The man who stops improving stops being useful."
"I respected my competitors; they made me sharper."
Wisdom
"Compromise is the death of excellence."
Leadership
"The railways are the veins of modern commerce."
"A fortune built on speculation is a fortune waiting to fall."
Wisdom
"I have always surrounded myself with men smarter than myself."
Leadership
"The age of the railroad is the age of the future."
"No amount of caution can prevent a determined businessman."
Courage
"I measure success not in years, but in lasting impact."
"The man who fears his competitors will never defeat them."
Courage
"A handshake from a man of honor is better than any contract."
Truth
"The future is bright for those willing to work in darkness."
Perseverance
"I built my wealth by refusing to accept limitation."
Success
"The masses are moved by what they see, not what is true."
Power
"A man of vision sees what others cannot yet perceive."
Wisdom
"I invested in the future when others invested in the past."
"The strongest business is built on repetition and reliability."
Success
"A fortune without heirs is a fortune without purpose."
Family
"The man who hesitates in commerce is already defeated."
Courage
"I have learned more from defeat than from victory."
Wisdom