Roman Abramovich

I’m getting excited before every single game. The trophy at the end is less important than the process itself.

After the situation with Kursk submarine, I started looking at Mr. Berezovsky in a completely different way. For me, it was a turning point in our relationship. I think that he took a completely dishonorable position.

I have no Napoleonic dream. I’m just hard-working and pragmatic.

I love this game, I love this sport, I love this league. Why don’t I get my own team?

If I had to think where I could live if not Moscow, London would be my first choice and second would be New York.

In Moscow I feel most comfortable. I’m used to four different seasons; it’s difficult for people in London to understand. People brought up in Russia like my kids want to play in the snow.

My style of deal-making is quite simple and straightforward. I aim very high, and then I just keep pushing and pushing and pushing to get what I’m after.

Behind every successful man stands a surprised mother-in-law.

The greatest teacher I know is the job itself.

The consumer isn’t a moron. She is your wife.

Good copy can’t be written with tongue in cheek, written just for a living. You’ve got to believe in the product.

Building a mission and building a business go hand in hand. The primary thing that excites me is the mission. But we have always had a healthy understanding that we need to do both.

I have very good executives and great children. They’re very good.

We, we – as I say, we go in and shake up other industries and I think, you know, we do it differently and I think that industries are not quite the same as a result of Virgin attacking the market.

Two classes of people lose money; those who are too weak to guard what they have; those who win money by trick. They both lose in the end.

You have an idea of the way you think it is, and it’s not that way at all, it’s something else.

Salesmanship is limitless. Our very living is selling. We are all salespeople.

My mother taught me to love my work. I learned everything about business from her.

If you need a machine and don’t buy it, then you will ultimately find that you have paid for it and don’t have it.

Too many would-be executives are slaves of routine.

[‘Why don’t you manage me’ – Laura Nyro] Eventually I thought do I really believe that she could be one of the biggest stars in the world? Should I give up my career at this point in my life, where I’m doing so well, and put all my marbles in Laura’s [Nyro] basket? And I woke up one morning and I thought if you really believe it – go for it.