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Kenneth Langone Quotes

Powerful Kenneth Langone for Daily Growth

About Kenneth Langone

Kenneth Ivor Langone (born August 27, 1939) is an American businessman, philanthropist, and co-founder of Home Depot. Born in Brooklyn, New York, to Italian immigrants, Langone grew up in a modest environment that instilled in him a strong work ethic and ambition. He attended the State University of New York at Oswego on a scholarship but was forced to drop out after his freshman year due to financial difficulties. Langone's career began in 1960 when he joined the New York Stock Exchange as a runner for a small brokerage firm. His hard work and determination led him to become a partner at the firm within seven years. In 1978, he co-founded Home Depot with Arthur Blank, Bernie Marcus, and Pat Farrah. The company revolutionized the retail industry by offering home improvement supplies at discount prices, and today it is one of the largest home improvement retailers in the world. Langone's business acumen has earned him numerous accolades, including being named as one of Time magazine's "25 Most Influential People in America" in 1996. He is also a prominent philanthropist, donating millions to educational institutions and medical research. Throughout his career, Langone has been known for his straight-talking, no-nonsense approach. His quotes reflect his belief in hard work, perseverance, and the power of entrepreneurship. Some of his most famous quotes include: 1. "You don't get paid for the time you spend at the office; you get paid for what you produce while you are there." 2. "Business is like show business: 80% perspiration, 20% inspiration." 3. "If we all did the things we were really capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves." 4. "Failure is not a fatal blow, but an opportunity to learn and grow stronger." Today, Kenneth Langone continues to be a significant figure in business and philanthropy. His legacy as a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist serves as an inspiration to many.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Success is not measured by money or power or social rank. Success is measured by your discipline and inner peace."

This quote by Kenneth Langone emphasizes that true success transcends materialistic measures such as wealth, power, or status. Instead, it highlights the importance of personal discipline and inner peace as key indicators of a fulfilling life. By focusing on cultivating these qualities, one can achieve a level of success that goes beyond external validation.

"The biggest risk is not taking any risk... In business or in life, to innovate, to be creative, you have to be willing to take a chance."

This quote emphasizes that the greatest danger lies in inaction or avoiding risk, particularly when it comes to innovation and creativity. By shying away from taking risks, one may miss out on opportunities for growth and progress in both business and personal life. The message encourages individuals to be bold and courageous in their pursuits, as this mindset fosters innovation, creativity, and the potential for positive change.

"I've always believed that if you put in the time, effort, and energy, good things will happen for you."

This quote emphasizes the importance of persistence, hard work, and dedication in achieving success or positive outcomes. It suggests that through consistent investment of one's time, energy, and efforts, favorable results will naturally follow. This perspective encourages individuals to stay committed, even when faced with challenges, as they strive towards their goals.

"You don’t make the big money on the deal you do; you make it on the next deal you do."

This quote emphasizes a crucial principle in business: the value of long-term strategic planning and relationships. In every transaction, there is a learning experience that can be applied to future opportunities. The real financial success often comes from leveraging the knowledge, skills, and connections gained from one deal to secure more profitable deals in the future. It underscores the importance of not just focusing on immediate profits but also building a solid foundation for continued growth and prosperity in business ventures.

"There are a lot of people with good ideas who don't take the initiative to act on them. The successful person is the one who acts upon their ideas, no matter how crazy they may seem at first."

This quote emphasizes the importance of action over mere ideation in achieving success. It suggests that while many people have innovative ideas, true success comes from those who are willing to put those ideas into action, even if their ideas initially appear unconventional or risky. The message encourages individuals to take initiative and make bold moves towards their goals.

A lawsuit with no legal precedent, seeking no damages, from no jury, in the name of stopping something that isn't happening? Only in New York.

- Kenneth Langone

New, Jury, Damages, Lawsuit

When a New York attorney general brings a lawsuit against a prominent business person, there are two things you can count on out of that office - lots of political bluster and little accountability.

- Kenneth Langone

Against, Prominent, Lawsuit

I consider myself a significant supporter of any candidate I work for, and I am certainly generous, I think, with my own funds.

- Kenneth Langone

Think, I Think, Certainly, Funds

I don't need a job. I don't want an appointment. I don't want to be on a commission. I don't want to be ambassador to nowhere.

- Kenneth Langone

Want, Need, Nowhere, Appointment

We took the position we wanted our people to be better than minimum wage, so we're going to pay better than minimum wage, and we still do that.

- Kenneth Langone

Going, Still, Took, Our People

As a little boy, my first job was delivering newspapers, and then I had a variety of different jobs. I worked in a butcher shop. I worked in a supermarket. I worked in construction. I dug ditches on the Long Island Expressway in 1954, 1955, 1956.

- Kenneth Langone

Long Island, Had, Shop, Butcher

Nothing so enchants attorneys general, their eyes generally fixed on higher public office, as slinging accusations against successful financial executives. Preening press conferences and fawning media coverage are virtually guaranteed, whether or not the charges have substance.

- Kenneth Langone

Financial, Office, Against, Fixed

You can have a phenomenal technology with bad people; you're not gonna have much success. You can have mediocre technology with great people; they'll figure out a way to make a buck.

- Kenneth Langone

Bad, Figure, Gonna, Phenomenal

I decided I was going to go to Wall Street, and I was introduced to some people... I met a guy who knew a bond trader at Pressprich, and he got me to meet him and the guy that ran their sales department, Jack Collin.

- Kenneth Langone

Some, Guy, Got, Jack

Why do we have U.S. attorneys? Because we need a mechanism to make sure people obey the laws that we pass, for societal reasons.

- Kenneth Langone

Laws, Sure, Reasons, Attorneys

We ought to look at Social Security. We ought to ask ourselves the question, is there inherently something wrong with Social Security that a man like me is eligible for Social Security? There's something wrong with the system.

- Kenneth Langone

Question, Like, Social, Eligible

A million dollars in the presidential election is a spit in the ocean. It's not a lot of money.

- Kenneth Langone

Lot, Million Dollars, Presidential

When then-New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer sued me in 2003 over my stewardship as a director of the New York Stock Exchange, the NYSE's legal expenses were more than $100 million, which made it perhaps the priciest litigation in the state's history.

- Kenneth Langone

General, Stock Exchange, Attorney

My own feeling on the consumer is that he - he or she looks at what it costs them to pay their bills every month as opposed to how much debt they have.

- Kenneth Langone

My Own, Costs, Opposed, Consumer

Contrary to what you might assume, I didn't start with any advantages and neither did most of the successful people I know. I am the grandson of immigrants who came to this country seeking basic economic and personal liberty.

- Kenneth Langone

Country, Personal Liberty, Economic

America has thrived on capitalism, and America will thrive again on capitalism.

- Kenneth Langone

Capitalism, Will, Again, Thrive

I have been in Wall Street all of my life. I love it. It has been good to me. I know many wonderful, decent, honorable, ethical, hard-working people that were in Wall Street with me.

- Kenneth Langone

Love, My Life, Been, Honorable

Rich people in one country don't act the same as rich people in another country.

- Kenneth Langone

Country, Act, Same, One Country

Home Depot has never hired one human being for minimum wage, not one. We have always paid a premium over minimum wage.

- Kenneth Langone

Always, Over, Human Being, Hired

The essence of business to me is great people run great companies. Mediocre people don't do a very good job.

- Kenneth Langone

Business, Essence, Very, Great People

Buy a stock at two, have it go to 30. You feel like you're on top of the world.

- Kenneth Langone

World, Top, Like, Stock

I have invested in companies. I have worked in companies. We have built companies; we have created jobs.

- Kenneth Langone

Companies, Worked, Built, Invested

Genes don't mean necessarily that you have got a certain strand of gene that makes you particularly acceptable as a public official.

- Kenneth Langone

Acceptable, Particularly, Strand

If we can get everybody working or as many as we can, you would be amazed at how many of our problems will disintegrate, go away.

- Kenneth Langone

Will, Away, Everybody, Problems

My first job was as a day laborer on the construction of the Long Island Expressway more than 50 years ago.

- Kenneth Langone

Island, More, Long Island, First Job

The wealth that was created by my investments wasn't put into a giant swimming pool as so many elected demagogues seem to imagine. Instead it benefitted our employees, their families and our community at large.

- Kenneth Langone

Investments, Our, Put, Employees

My connection was we never want to put ourselves in a position as a nation where we pit group against group.

- Kenneth Langone

Never, Nation, Against, Pit

A little more than 30 years ago, Bernie Marcus, Arthur Blank, Pat Farrah and I got together and founded The Home Depot.

- Kenneth Langone

Pat, Blank, Arthur, Home Depot

You want to close the income inequality gap in part? Give us better educated kids out of high school. Give us kids that can challenge and succeed in the challenge with technology. You give us those kinds of kids, and watch the needle move.

- Kenneth Langone

Income, Part, Kinds, Needle

I should not get Social Security. I think it's a travesty for a man of my success and of my means to get anything from the federal government.

- Kenneth Langone

Think, I Think, Means, Federal

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