41 David Rockefeller Quotes

David Rockefeller was an American businessman, philanthropist, and investment banker.

David Rockefeller also served as chief executive and chairman of the family banking business, Chase Manhattan Corporation. He was the last child of John D. Rockefeller jr and the grandson of the prominent oil industrialist and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller.

Businessman David Rockefeller was noted for dining among intellectual elites and for his vast political connections around the world. He was an occasional traveler and had encounters with many foreign leaders. After a year, he joined the staff of the Chase National Bank. He also maintains trading and business relationships with over 1,000 correspondent banks. He later rose to the post of president and eventually became the chairman and chief executive of Chase Manhattan from 1969-1980.

Philanthropist and businessman David Rockefeller influenced world governments and world bankers and was among the intellectual elite in the past centuries. Below are a few David Rockefeller quotes to help you develop enhanced insights on business, wealth, and political views.

The Rockefeller family were recognized in America as one of the families to own the world's largest fortunes thanks to his grandfather, John D. Rockefeller. Raised in this family and becoming a prominent businessman, David shares some quotes about wealth and influence.

"Money can add very much to one's ability to live a constructive life, not only pleasant for oneself, but hopefully beneficial to others."

"Only once in my life was I on the edge of incivility. I do not like to be unkind."

"I am convinced that material things can contribute a lot to making one's life pleasant, but, basically, if you do not have very good friends and relatives who matter to you, life will be really empty and sad, and material things cease to be important."

"It would have been impossible for us to develop our plan for the world if we had been subjected to the lights of publicity during those years. But, the world is now more sophisticated and prepared to march towards a world government."

"The supernatural sovereignty of an intellectual elite and world bankers is surely preferable to the national auto-determination practiced in the past centuries."

"I was born into wealth, and there was nothing I could do about it. It was like food or air."

"Much corporate giving is charitable in nature rather than philanthropic."

"You know, gentlemen, that I do not owe any personal income tax. But nevertheless, I send a small check, now and then, to the Inland Revenue Service out of the kindness of my heart."

"When you have a lot of resources, the most important thing is to have good parents and to have been brought up by people who gave one the proper values."

"I realize how fortunate I have been; mine has been a wonderful life."
- November 13, 2007. In an interview with Benjamin Fulford, when asked about the worsening condition of the American economy and currency.

"Whatever you do, if you do it hard enough you’ll enjoy it. The important thing is to work and work hard."

Philanthropist and businessman, David Rockefeller was a great influence on the affairs of world government. He was constantly traveling around the world to build relationships with various world leaders. Here are some David Rockefeller quotes about governance.

"I believe that government is the servant of the people and not their master."

"I suspect that many corporations have begun to understand that they have an important role to play in the lives of their communities, and that allocating funds to support local groups helps them discharge that function and also banish their image."

"Whatever the price of the Chinese Revolution, it has obviously succeeded in producing more efficient and dedicated administration, but also in fostering high morale and community of purpose."

"Somebody has to take government's place, and business seems to be a logical entity to do it."

"I think that the best hope for peace and prosperity in the world is greater cooperation among nations, which in turn will be produced if both our governments and the people of our countries travel more and get to know each other better."
- November 13, 2007. In an interview with Benjamin Fulford.

"This present window of opportunity, during which a truly peaceful and interdependent world order might be built, will not be open for too long - We are on the verge of a global transformation. All we need is the right major crisis and the nations will accept the New World Order."

"The negative impact of population growth on all our planetary ecosystem is becoming appallingly evident."

"I hope the Guggenheim plan will be revived."

"There have been people - ever since I've had any kind of position in the world - who have accused me of being ruler of the world. I have to say that I think for the large part, I would have to decide to describe them as crack pots.
-November 13, 2007. In an interview with Benjamin Fulford.

David's interest in art stems from his mother's love for nature's beauty and his ability to discern good art. Below are his sayings about art publicity and his love for travel life.

"A museum has to renew its collection to be alive, but that does not mean we give on important old works."

"Mother liked beauty wherever she found it, and she found it in many different places, both in nature and in contemporary art."

"In order to appreciate culture of another nation, one needs to go there, know the people, and mingle with the culture of that country. One way to do that, if one is lucky enough. is to buy things from those cultures."

"The role of a museum of modern art is to make a good selection and identify what we believe to be the coming movements, and that requires taste."

"I think of art as the highest level of creativity. To me, it is one of the greatest sources of enjoyment."

"The conventional notions of art have changed, and a lot of things done today are considered works of art that would have been rejected in the past."

"I was brought up feeling that art is a very important part of one's life. It's something that I not only enjoy, it's something I can share with others."

"By museum, I assume you mean an institution dedicated to the events of Sept. 11 and the aftermaths. If that is done with sensitivity, I think it would be most appropriate."

"I learned more from my mother than all the art historians and curators who have informed me about technical aspects of art history and art appreciation over the years."

"They decided to establish a museum of modern art where works of contemporary artists would be shown. Mother was viewed as a very progressive person, and not everybody liked the paintings she brought."

"The Japanese have a wonderful sense of design and refinement in their art. They try to produce beautiful paintings with minimum number of strokes."

"If necessity is the mother of invention, discontent is the father of progress."

"When I see something I like, I buy it. I do not look for it madly."

"I never kept a dairy, but I wrote detailed notes of my travels."

"I am a passionate traveler, and from the time I was a child, travel formed me as much as my formal education."

David Rockefeller was a successful businessman being the CE of Chase Manhattan for 11 years. Below are his quotes regarding business.

"Success in business requires training, discipline, and hard work. But if you're not frightened by these things, the opportunities are just as great today as they ever were."

"Whatever you do, if you do it hard enough, you'll enjoy it. The important thing is to work and work hard."

"One cannot expect to coast along and rise automatically to the top, no matter what friends you may have in the company. There may have been a time when in large corporations, a person may rise simply because he had a stock interest or because he had friends in top management. That's not true today."

Emerging from a great family of philanthropists, here is what businessman, David has to say about philanthropy.

"Philanthropy is involved with basic innovations that transform society, not simply by maintaining the status quo or filling basic social needs that were formerly the province of the public sector."

"Successful charitable fund-raising has much in common with managing a business: it requires leadership, persistence, and creativity."

"My grandfather, along with Carnegie, was a pioneer in philanthropy, which my father then practiced on a very large scale."

"Much corporate giving is charitable in nature rather than philanthropic."