41 Wise JP Morgan Quotes on Success and Life

These JP Morgan quotes offer insights into what it takes to be successful in the business world.

You probably recognize the name JP Morgan from the investment banking company JP Morgan Chase.

John Pierpont Morgan was a smart person and a savvy businessman.

He was born into a successful family and started his career as an accountant.

But he had a keen eye for business.

He is most famously known for coming into companies and reorganizing them to be more stable and profitable.

He was also behind some of the consolidations that led to the formation of U.S. Steel and General Electric.

Morgan was one of the original players in American capitalism.

And there’s no denying that he knew what it took to be successful in the business world as you’ll see from these quotes.

Don’t forget to also check out these business motivational quotes about massive success.

Check out our most popular quote article, a list of short inspirational quotes for daily inspiration. 

Our inspirational quotes category page has all of our motivational quotes for all the different areas of life.

Famous JP Morgan quotes

1. “You can’t unscramble eggs.” – JP Morgan

2. “Go as far as you can see; when you get there you’ll be able to see farther.” – JP Morgan

3. “You can’t pick cherries with your back to the tree.” – JP Morgan

4. “When you expect things to happen – strangely enough – they do happen.” – JP Morgan

5. “I feel bound in honor when I reorganize a property and am morally responsible for its management, to protect it – and I generally do protect it.” – JP Morgan

6. “Nothing so undermines your financial judgment as the sight of your neighbor getting rich.” – JP Morgan

7. “A man generally has two reasons for doing a thing. One that sounds good, and a real one.” – JP Morgan

8. “When a man abuses his power, he loses it.” – JP Morgan

9. “No price is too great for a work of unquestioned beauty and known authenticity.” – JP Morgan

10. “No problem can be solved until it is reduced to some simple form. The changing of a vague difficulty into a specific, concrete form is a very essential element in thinking.” – JP Morgan

11. “You have no right to own a yacht if you ask that question.” – JP Morgan

12. “The first thing [in credit] is character… before money or anything else. Money cannot buy it.” – JP Morgan

13. “Let every lion do his duty.” – JP Morgan

14. “Never sell a bear in the United States.” – JP Morgan

15. “Any man who is bearish on the United States will go broke.” – JP Morgan

16. “Anyone can be a millionaire, but to become a billionaire you need an astrologer.” – JP Morgan

17. “Of all forms of tyranny the least attractive and the most vulgar is the tyranny of mere wealth, the tyranny of plutocracy.” – JP Morgan

JP Morgan quotes on life and success

18. ”The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are.” – JP Morgan

19. “I made a fortune getting out too soon.” – JP Morgan

20. “I do not remember in my whole life I ever willfully misrepresented anything to anybody at any time. I have never knowingly had a connection with a fraudulent scheme.” – JP Morgan

21. “A man I do not trust could not get money from me on all the bonds in Christendom. I think that is the fundamental basis of business.” – JP Morgan

22. “If you have to ask how much it costs, you can’t afford it.” – JP Morgan

23. “It was not really a question of price. It was a question of success.” – JP Morgan

24. “If you want time to pass quickly, just give a banker your note for 90 days.” – JP Morgan

25. “Remember, my son, that any man who is a bear on the future of this country will go broke.” – JP Morgan

26. “People without homes will not quarrel with their leaders. This is well known among our principle men now engaged in forming an imperialism of capitalism to govern the world. By dividing the people we can get them to expend their energies in fighting over questions of no importance to us except as teachers of the common herd.” – JP Morgan

27. “Well, I don’t know as I want a lawyer to tell me what I cannot do. I hire him to tell how to do what I want to do.” – JP Morgan

28. “When I have business on hand I think it is better to have it done quickly.” – JP Morgan

29. “Giving debt relief to people that really need it, that’s what foreclosure is.” – JP Morgan

JP Morgan quotes on character

30. “The wise man bridges the gap by laying out the path by means of which he can get from where he is to where he wants to go.” – JP Morgan

31. “Money equals business which equals power, all of which come from character and trust.” – JP Morgan

32. “A man always has two reasons for doing anything: a good reason and the real reason.” – JP Morgan

33. “Don’t talk to me about appealing to the public. I am done with the public, for the present anyway. The public reads the headlines and that is all. The story itself is fair and shows the facts. That would be all right if the public read the facts. But it does not. It reads the headline and listens to the demagogues and that’s the stuff public opinion is made of.” – JP Morgan

JP Morgan quotes on business

34. “Gold is money. Everything else is credit.” – JP Morgan

35. “My first guess is sometimes right. My second never is.” – JP Morgan

36. “I don’t want a lawyer who tells me what I can’t do. I hire a lawyer to tell me how I can do what I want to do!” – JP Morgan
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37. “Congress should know how to levy taxes, and if it doesn’t know how to collect them, then a man is a fool to pay the taxes.” – JP Morgan

38. “When asked what the stock market will do: It will fluctuate.” – JP Morgan

39. “Millionaires don’t use Astrology, billionaires do.” – JP Morgan

40. “If that’s all he can get, and he takes it, I should say it’s enough.” – JP Morgan

41. “When a shoe shiner takes an interest in stocks, he needs to leave the market immediately.” – JP Morgan

What did you learn from these JP Morgan quotes?

When many people think of the business world, it can seem very complicated.

And while there is a lot to learn and know about if you want to reach the heights of success that JP Morgan did, there is also somewhat of simplicity to it as you can see from the quotes above.

JP Morgan’s words don’t make things seem complicated.

It appears he learned well the basic principles and because of it, he knew what to expect from people in business.

If financial success is what you’re after, studying the likes of JP Morgan can help you see what he knew and how he used it in the business landscape.

So, what’s your biggest takeaway from these JP Morgan quotes and sayings?

Do you have any other favorite quotes to add?

Let us know in the comment section below.