23 Quotes by Carl Icahn
Carl Icahn, a billionaire investor and businessman, is a prominent figure in the world of finance and corporate activism. With a career spanning several decades, Icahn has earned a reputation as a formidable activist investor, using his expertise and influence to effect changes in the companies he invests in. His aggressive approach to shareholder activism has often led to major corporate shake-ups, including changes in management, divestitures, and strategic shifts.
Icahn's investment strategies have yielded substantial gains, but they have also drawn criticism and controversy for their confrontational nature. Beyond his role as an investor, Icahn is also a successful entrepreneur, with interests in diverse industries such as energy, real estate, and entertainment. His business acumen and ability to seize opportunities in the market have made him one of the most influential and polarizing figures in the financial world. Whether praised for his savvy investments or criticized for his aggressive tactics, Carl Icahn's impact on the business landscape cannot be ignored, and his legacy as a titan of Wall Street continues to be debated.
Carl Icahn Quotes
Some people get rich studying artificial intelligence. Me, I make money studying natural stupidity.
When friends and acquaintances are telling you that you are a genius, before you accept their opinion, take a moment to remember what you always thought of their opinions in the past.
A great company in the media business needs visionary leaders, not a conglomerate structure headquartered in Columbus Circle that second guesses.
In life and business, there are two cardinal sins. The first is to act precipitously without thought and the second is to not act at all.
You learn in this business. If you want a friend, get a dog.
When most investors, including the pros, all agree on something, they're usually wrong.
Now the guy that got to the top, the CEO, would obviously be stupid to have a number two guy who was a lot smarter than he is. So by definition, since he's a survivor and he got to the top and he isn't that brilliant, his number two guy is going to always be a little worse than he is. So, as time goes on, it's anti-Darwinism, the survival of the un- fittest.
Don't confuse luck with skill when judging others, and especially when judging yourself.
We want these assets to be productive. We buy them. We own them. To say we care only about the short term is wrong. What I care about is seeing these assets in the best hands
I enjoy the hunt much more than the “good life” after the victory.
CEOs are paid for doing a terrible job. If the system wasn't so messed up, guys like me wouldn't make this kind of money.
I like winning. There's also a certain joy in it. I feel fulfilled by it.
The CEO is, by far, the most important decision for a company... The company is going to rise and fall with the CEO.
Don't go in and tell somebody else how to run their business.
I have to look out for the shareholder’s interests, and I’m the largest shareholder.
When nobody wants something, that creates an opportunity.
I can tell you how bad our boards are... I don't have to watch Saturday Night Live anymore; I just go to the board meetings.
We have bloated bureaucracies in Corporate America. The root of the problem is the absence of real corporate democracy.
With some exceptions, the wrong people are running U.S. companies. It's been that way for years, and it hasn't gotten much better.
And I'm convinced, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you can work with the unions because the unions want to survive. If they are confronted simply with the question: "Do you want this company to survive or do you want it to be broken up?" they will listen. It's their livelihood.
A lot of people died fighting tyranny. The least I can do is vote against it.
My wife watches me like a hawk.
Too often it's not the most creative guys or the smartest. Instead, it's the ones who are best at playing politics and soft-soaping their bosses. Boards don't like tough, abrasive guys.
― Carl Icahn Quotes
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Tal Gur is an author, founder, and impact-driven entrepreneur at heart. After trading his daily grind for a life of his own daring design, he spent a decade pursuing 100 major life goals around the globe. His journey and most recent book, The Art of Fully Living, has led him to found Elevate Society.
