John D. Rockefeller (1839–1937) was an American business magnate and philanthropist who built the Standard Oil Company and became one of the wealthiest men in history. Beyond his immense fortune, Rockefeller was known for his discipline, ambition, and strong sense of responsibility. He left behind not only a legacy of industrial power and philanthropy but also timeless words of wisdom about money, success, faith, and life.
- “If your only goal is to become rich, you will never achieve it.”
- “The way to make money is to buy when blood is running in the streets.”
- “Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.”
- “I always tried to turn every disaster into an opportunity.”
- “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.”
- “Good management consists in showing average people how to do the work of superior people.”
- “A man has no right to occupy another man’s time unnecessarily.”
- “If you want to succeed you should strike out on new paths, rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success.”
- “The secret of success is to do the common things uncommonly well.”
- “Charity is injurious unless it helps the recipient to become independent of it.”
- “Competition is a sin.”
- “Success comes from keeping the ears open and the mouth closed.”
- “I would rather be able to appreciate things I cannot have than to have things I am not able to appreciate.”
- “If you want to succeed you should strike out on new paths.”
- “I believe that every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every possession, a duty.”
- “Don’t be afraid to take a chance. If you can dream it, you can do it.”
- “I believe the power to make money is a gift from God.”
- “Singleness of purpose is one of the chief essentials for success in life, no matter what may be one’s aim.”
- “The most important thing for a young man is to establish credit—a reputation, character.”
- “The poorest man I know is the man who has nothing but money.”
- “The poorest man I know is the man who has nothing but money.”
- “The person who starts out simply with the idea of getting rich won’t succeed; you must have a larger ambition.”
- “A friendship founded on business is better than a business founded on friendship.”
- “Never lose interest in life and the world. Never allow yourself to become annoyed.”
- “I believe that the best philanthropy is constantly in search of the finalities—a search for a cause, an attempt to cure evils at their source.”
- “I believe that love is the greatest thing in the world, that it alone can overcome hate, that right can and will triumph over might.”
- “The only thing which is of lasting benefit to a man is that which he does for himself.”
- “A man’s wealth must be determined by the relation of his desires and expenditures to his income.”
- “It is wrong to assume that men of immense wealth are always happy.”
- “There is nothing in this world that can compare with the Christian fellowship; nothing that can satisfy but Christ.”
- “Perseverance can overcome all obstacles.”
- “The success of each is dependent upon the success of the other.”
- “I do not think that there is any other quality so essential to success as the quality of perseverance.”
- “It is essential to be systematic and careful in business.”
- “Go as far as you can see; when you get there, you’ll be able to see farther.”
- “The man who starts out simply with the idea of getting rich won’t succeed.”
- “I believe that thrift is essential to well-ordered living.”
- “He who works all day has no time to make money.”
- “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.”
- “I believe that the power to make money is a gift from God, to be developed and used to the best of our ability.”
- “Don’t be afraid to give up the good to pursue the great.”
- “Opportunities come infrequently. When it rains gold, put out the bucket, not the thimble.”
- “Next to doing the right thing, the most important thing is to let people know you are doing the right thing.”
- “The man who is successful is the man who is useful.”
- “Every right implies a responsibility, every opportunity an obligation, every possession a duty.”
- “I have made many millions but they have brought me no happiness.”
- “It is not wealth that brings happiness, but what you do with it.”
- “A man’s fortune must be only the result of his character.”
- “Don’t be afraid to give up something now for something better later.”
- “I believe in the principle that I can do nothing for myself that I cannot do for others.”
- “I believe that every man has a right to earn a living.”
- “Giving should be entered into in just the same way as investing.”
- “I believe the duty of the rich is to give to the poor.”
- “Charity is injurious unless it helps the recipient to become independent.”
- “The best philanthropy is the one which helps people help themselves.”
- “If you want to succeed in life, help someone else succeed.”
- “I believe that the power to make money carries with it the responsibility to use it for the good of others.”
- “I believe that charity is only a temporary solution; education is the cure.”
- “Every man has a duty to contribute to society in proportion to what he has received.”
- “I believe that wealth should be used for the benefit of others, not for the luxury of self.”
- “God gave me my money.”
- “Singleness of purpose is essential in life.”
- “I believe that the power of prayer is the greatest power on earth.”
- “The ability to deal with people is as purchasable a commodity as sugar or coffee.”
- “Every success is a result of God’s blessing.”
- “The man who does not live for others is a failure.”
- “I believe in the principle that all men are created equal.”
- “Do not be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”
- “A man’s labor is his true wealth.”
- “I believe the purpose of life is not to accumulate wealth, but to use it wisely.”
John D. Rockefeller’s words offer business advice and they carry lessons about character, faith, philanthropy, and resilience.
Rockefeller’s legacy wasn’t just in building one of the greatest fortunes in history, it was in shaping the way we think about opportunity, responsibility, and giving back.
