David Geffen

I never went to business school. I was just bumbling through a lot of my life. I was like the guy behind the curtain in The Wizard of Oz.

I forgive you for all the times you’ve f**ked me in the past and for all the times you’re going to f**k me in the future.

The opportunity for an entrepreneur to start a company from scratch today is abysmal.

[On Joni Mitchell] If I didn’t talk to her for the rest of my life, I wouldn’t miss her for a minute.

Some people have a greater ability to imagine than others.

[To his ex-entertainment lawyer Eric Eisner who resigned from the presidency of The David Geffen Company in 1991 just as a deal was about to be made with some Japanese] Keep your stock. [Eric sold it.]

Whether it’s eight o’clock in the morning or eight o’clock at night, I always try to greet others before they have a chance to speak to me.

Part of being a winner is knowing when enough is enough. Sometimes you have to give up the fight and walk away, and move on to something that’s more productive.

Sometimes if you’re lucky someone comes into your life who’ll take up a place in your heart no one else can fill.

When you are tough on yourself, life is going to be infinitely easier on you.

Use your work to better yourself.

There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.

Only men of character are trusted.

It is better to inspire a reform than to enforce it.

A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could because someone else thought they could.

“Success in life is knowing the difference between ham and eggs; the chicken’s involved, the pig is committed.”

Remember there’s no such thing as an unrealistic goal, just unrealistic time frames!

Pretend that every single person you meet has a sign around his or her neck that says, ‘Make me feel important.’ Not only will you succeed in sales, you will succeed in life.

I’m really clear about what my life mission is now. There’s no more depression or lethargy, and I feel like I’ve returned to the athlete I once was. I’m integrating all the parts of me – jock, musician, writer, poet, philosopher – and becoming stronger as a result.

Try to look at your weakness and convert it into your strength. That’s success.

You are the only person on earth who can use your ability.