41 Quotes by Nicolas Berggruen

In my teens I was interested in photography. Then I decided that I should learn something about the world of commerce. And I came to America at age 17 to escape Europe. I went to NYU - nothing better than being 17 years old and coming to New York.

I felt I was owned by possessions.

Everybody is different and I think that we live in a material world. But for me, possessing things is not that interesting. Living in a grand environment to show myself and others that I have wealth has zero appeal. Whatever I own is temporary, since we're only here for a short period of time. It's what we do and produce, it's our actions, that will last forever. That's real value.

In my teens I was interested in photography. Then I decided that I should learn something about the world of commerce. And I came to America at age 17 to escape Europe. I went to NYU – nothing better than being 17 years old and coming to New York.

California has something which not every place in the world has: It has what I would call a sunny side, and I don’t mean just physically, but the sunny side is a future. California’s worth saving, to put it bluntly.

I don’t have a house, and I don’t have a lot of time for socializing, so every year I have a party for all of my friends.

At the end, the key thing is you’ve got to live with yourself. That’s the real test. Everything else is fleeting.

I can drive. Let’s just say you don’t want to be in the passenger seat.

I wish I was a great writer or a great journalist or a great scientist or a great artist; I’m not.