James B. Duke

"In business, as in life, reputation is everything."

"The poor deserve opportunity as much as the rich deserve their wealth."

"Change is inevitable; those who refuse to change will be left behind."

"A life without purpose is a life half-lived."

"The best investment a man can make is in the education of young minds."

"Fortune favors the bold, but only if backed by diligent work."

"I have built my empire not on luck, but on calculated risks and careful planning."

"A philanthropist is simply a businessman who recognizes his debt to society."

"The greatest satisfaction comes not from acquiring wealth, but from using it wisely."

"Young men should be taught to think, not merely to obey."

"In the pursuit of business, never compromise your integrity; it is priceless."

"I believe that the accumulation of wealth brings with it an obligation to serve humanity."

"A man's true character is revealed not in his successes, but in how he handles his failures."

"The power of capital lies not in the money itself, but in the vision of those who wield it."

"I have always maintained that a handshake should be as binding as a contract."

"The future belongs to those who can adapt and innovate."

"Business should be conducted with the same principles as one conducts a moral life."

"I taught myself that patience in business is as important as aggression."

"The greatest reward for labor is not the wages, but the dignity of work itself."

"A man who does not dream cannot build an empire."

"In the tobacco trade, I learned that consistency builds empires."

"The wealthy man who gives nothing back has failed at the greatest business of all."

"I have found that fear is the greatest obstacle to success."

"Knowledge of one's trade is the greatest asset a man can possess."

"The door to success is opened by the key of hard work."

"I believe that every man should leave the world better than he found it."

"Complacency is the death of ambition and progress."

"A true businessman understands that his legacy is more important than his bank account."

"The industrialist who forgets the worker is doomed to failure."

"I have learned that success without honor is merely the accumulation of shame."