Eli Broad is an American entrepreneur and philanthropist. Known for building two Fortune 500 companies in different industries, Broad wrote the book, ‘The Art of Being Unreasonable.’ As Founder of SunAmerica and CoFounder of KB Home, Broad is estimated to be worth more than 7 billion dollars. Here is a look at some of the most notable Eli Broad quotes ever documented.
“A lot of executives act like their time is worth more than anyone else’s. But I always respect an employee who guards his or her time, even from me.”
“A real collector does not sell.”
“Any city in America would like to get a museum built if they didn’t have to pay for it.”
“Anything I do, I spend a lot of time. I do it with passion and intensity. I want to be in charge.”
“Art evokes emotion. It doesn’t have to be a thing of beauty.”
“Artists rarely do the same thing over and over again. Art is about the new, doing things in a new way.”
“Charity is just writing checks and not being engaged. Philanthropy, to me, is being engaged, not only with your resources but getting people and yourself really involved and doing things that haven’t been done before.”
“Civilizations are not remembered by their business people, their bankers or lawyers. They’re remembered by the arts.”
“Collecting is more than just buying objects.”
“Collectors become obsessive and then addicted. You become addicted to art and you can’t live without it.”
“Contemporary art challenges us.. it broadens our horizons. It asks us to think beyond the limits of conventional wisdom.”
"People who just accept the status quo and conventional wisdom don't make a difference in the world," – Eli Broad pic.twitter.com/3YtS0WkiEI
— Lucas Kobat (@lrkobat) December 27, 2016
“Every artist is unreasonable, because he or she is doing something that hasn’t been done before.”
“For businesses to be successful, they need to constantly ask the question: how can we provide value to our customers? At the end of the day, that is what matters.”
“I can imagine no more important contribution to our country’s future than a long-term commitment to improving urban K-12 public schools.”
“I don’t see myself as a great discoverer of artists, like Charles Saatchi.”
“I don’t think it makes any sense for an individual to invest in common stocks unless they know the company, work at the company, and so on.”
“I don’t want to be in the film business. I’m not even sure it’s a business.”
“I have always believed that every great city in history needs a vibrant center.”
“I never play golf because it takes too long, and the business connections it produces can be made just as easily over an early breakfast.”
“I never stay anywhere – parties, museums, meetings – longer than three hours.”
“I’d be bored to death if I spent all my time with other businesspeople, bankers and lawyers.”
“I’d rather be respected than loved.”
Tonight, @JohnAvlon on “Washington’s Farewell,” philanthropist Eli Broad, and Peter Kunhardt on the documentary, “Becoming Warren Buffett.” pic.twitter.com/vI9jFfYeLI
— Charlie Rose Show (@CharlieRoseShow) January 31, 2017
“Ideas, more than money, are really the currency for success.”
“If people want to criticize me because it sells papers, that’s fine. I just don’t like it when it’s inaccurate.”
“If you have poor management that’s not doing the right job, you end up with unions filling the void and… page after page of work rules and thicker and thicker contracts.”
“I’m strong-willed. Architects are strong-willed. You get the best results with a strong client and a strong architect working together.”
“I’ve never been one who enjoys maintaining the status quo. I’m always pushing for new ideas, whether it’s in business or philanthropy.”
“Most museums – with all their burdens to pay for exhibitions, administration, and security – really don’t have any money really to acquire art, with few exceptions.”
“No one ever made a million bucks by being cautious or timid or reasonable.”
“People always say congratulations. When you’re a successful bidder it means you’re willing to spend more money than anyone else. I’m not sure if that’s congratulations or condolences.”
“Public education is the key civil rights issue of the 21st century. Our nation’s knowledge-based economy demands that we provide young people from all backgrounds and circumstances with the education and skills necessary to become knowledge workers.”
“Research – and using what you learn from it to analyze every situation – is what separates being unreasonable from being irrational.”
“School district policies and practices have not kept pace with student and teacher needs.”
“Someone once told me I’m a sore winner, and they’re right. I rarely take more than a moment to enjoy a success before I’m moving on and looking for the next challenge.”
Eli Broad joins #Fight4Homeless in @CountyOfLA @SupJaniceHahn @kathrynbarger @SheilaKuehl pic.twitter.com/Bjx18HwcVa
— Mark Ridley-Thomas (@mridleythomas) December 7, 2016
“The best move you can make in negotiation is to think of an incentive the other person hasn’t even thought of – and then meet it.”
“The biggest barrier we’ve seen to student progress is this: School policies and practices often prevent good teachers from doing great work and even dissuade some talented Americans from entering the profession. This needs to change.”
“The first dream I had was just to get a college education. I got through college in three years, taking extra classes in summer school.”
“The first thing I started collecting was stamps. Until I started discovering girls. That was the end of stamps.”
“There is no substitute for knowledge. To this day, I read three newspapers a day. It is impossible to read a paper without being exposed to ideas. And ideas – more than money – are the real currency for success.”
“There were periods when the art market got overheated, but there is no reason it should appreciate dramatically.”
“Time is the most valuable thing you have – and I’m not just talking about the minutes for which you’re paid.”
“While I am proud of a number of accomplishments, there are real costs to being unreasonable. Long hours. Too little time with family. A near incapacity for, as they say, stopping and smelling the roses.”
“Who you spend your life with-much more so than how you choose to spend it-is the most important decision you can make. Do it right. That’s the best advice I can give you.”
“You always learn lessons in business.”
“You can have great teachers, but if you don’t have a good principal, you won’t have a good school.”
Here is a 60 minutes special featuring Eli Broad as he discusses giving away more than $2 billion with plans to give away even more before he dies. Setting the standard of philanthropy, his advice and experience can make an impact to anyone looking to create their own success.
Although millions of people visit Brandon's blog each month, his path to success was not easy. Go here to read his incredible story, "From Disabled and $500k in Debt to a Pro Blogger with 5 Million Monthly Visitors." If you want to send Brandon a quick message, then visit his contact page here.