Chen Guangbiao

“I don't know anything about propaganda for Chinese reunification. I only know about charity and environmental work. I just want to do good.”

“My wealth is very limited. I need to influence other people to give.”

“I intend to buy 'The New York Times.' Please don't take it as a joke.”

“I have been doing good deeds since I was just a small child.”

“One summer vacation, I carried water to the town market to sell it, and I used some of the money I made to help a neighbour.”

“I have to be grateful to our society here in China, grateful to the economic reforms for letting me get rich, and grateful for the efforts of my staff. If there had been no reforms, I would have been a farmer.”

“Although there are people saying I'm putting on a show, I'm hoping more will emulate my 'performance.' If more people did, more needy people would get help.”

“If you have a river, then you should share it with everyone.”

“Even though I am smiling, I have some suffering in my heart.”

“If my wisdom could get support from officials, I think society would move forward 20 years.”

“When I was eight years old, I was always starving. My brother and sister died from starvation.”

“I was not born into a rich family or a family of government officials.”

“Chinese people like to do things with a low profile; they do not like to expose their wealth.”

“When I was young, I liked to be acknowledged in class by little gestures such as a small red star for doing something good. Now that I'm older, I still want to be acknowledged for good work.”

“I want to tell mayors, county chiefs and heads of big companies: don't just chase GDP growth; don't chase the biggest profits at the expense of our children and grandchildren and at the cost of sacrificing our ecological environment.”

“If you put a brick on my head and break it, I will be fine.”

“My younger brother runs a guesthouse, and my sister is a janitor. I have not given them money because they earn their own money. I pay for their children's school fees.”

“I want to record the name of Chen Guangbiao in Chinese history.”

“My individual power is limited. I want to use my high-profile way to wake people up to take action together to do good things. I can only awake them with my performance art and creativity.”

“I'm a rich man, but I don't want to be a miser.”