Persist - don't take no for an answer. If you're happy to sit at your desk and not take any risk, you'll be sitting at your desk for the next 20 years.

The world is a complicated place, and there's a lot of division between people. The performing arts tend to unify people in a way nothing else does.

When I worked in the White House for President Carter, we tried to do comprehensive tax reform and we made some progress, and other presidents have as well.

People used to think that private equity was basically just a compensation scheme, but it is much more about making companies more efficient.

I am involved in a lot of nonprofits. And when I reached the ripe old age of 60, I wanted to provide leadership to some I had been involved in.

I really hope that the philanthropy movement is seen not just as wealthy people giving money away but wealthy people giving away their time, their energy and their ideas.

I regard food as fuel. I am not a brunch person.

Sometimes the best decisions in life are on the spur of the moment. So I generally try to do what I think is right. And sometimes I make mistakes.

I'm blessed by the fact I only need five hours of sleep on a daily basis. I do tend to regard Saturday and Sunday as work days.

I realised how rich I had become and I asked myself, 'Do I really want to be the richest person in the cemetery?

What do most people say on their deathbed? They don't say, 'I wish I'd made more money.' What they say is, 'I wish I'd spent more time with my family and done more for society or my community.

While an author is yet living we estimate his powers by his worst performance, and when he is dead we rate them by his best.

I like it subdued and tepid, with far to much milk

Because if I ever get nailed, I don’t want you running out to get the same medicine. Believe me, if it’s you lying out there, I’m gonna make sure you’re alive before I go.

My biggest flaw is probably my attention span or lack thereof. And while it might seem contradictory, my biggest strength is my work ethic.

I don't generally find myself listening to the music of a film unless there's something awfully wrong with it.

I think I'd be able to get along with Vladimir Putin.

On the spiritual path, the first thing is to experientially ascertain where your are right now. You can only start the journey from where you are.

This decision is an illustration that freedom of speech still protects average people sitting on a street corner singing.

I've always been a shy person.

The best system is to have one party govern and the other party watch.