Eli Broad

“To me, unconventional thinking is approaching a problem and asking, 'Why not? Why can't something be done?' If someone can't give me a good reason why you can't do something, I find a way to do it.”

“I can't think of another enterprise other than being a homeowner that can't have its debt restructured in bankruptcy. Corporations can but a homeowner can't? Now with securitization the homeowner can't go to the owner of the loan and work things out.”

“I don't see myself as a great discoverer of artists, like Charles Saatchi.”

“Being a Midwesterner, I know that many of the middle-class manufacturing jobs that had been at the heart of our economy are either gone or going, and they're not coming back.”

“School district policies and practices have not kept pace with student and teacher needs.”

“Charity is just writing checks and not being engaged. Philanthropy, to me, is being engaged, not only with your resources but getting people and yourself really involved and doing things that haven't been done before.”

“A lot of executives act like their time is worth more than anyone else's. But I always respect an employee who guards his or her time, even from me.”

“People don't know I've got a deep social conscience. I'm a child of the Depression, born in 1933. My parents were very liberal in their social views.”

“Frankly, I'm not sure how far I would get if I attended public school today. It's not just that public schools aren't producing the results we want - it's that we're not giving them what they need to help students achieve at high levels. K-12 education in the United States is deeply antiquated.”

“It's critical that states improve how teachers are trained, recruited, evaluated, compensated, advanced, and retained.”

“Without a doubt, stem cell research will lead to the dramatic improvement in the human condition and will benefit millions of people.”

“Museums do not share their collections with other museums unless they get something in exchange. The Metropolitan will deal with the Louvre, but will they send their stuff to Memphis? No.”

“There were periods when the art market got overheated, but there is no reason it should appreciate dramatically.”

“I never stay anywhere - parties, museums, meetings - longer than three hours.”

“I believe in the democratization of the arts. What do I mean by that? I think museums, with some exceptions, have a responsibility to educate a much broader public.”

“My family and I have been blessed with good fortune in the world of business. We've created quite a net worth. My children, two boys, have more money than they will ever need, and they aren't empire builders.”

“I think the opera is one of the great cultural jewels of Los Angeles.”

“Teach For America provides one of the most critical pipelines for bringing new talent into public education.”

“People would rather have art or gold instead of paper money.”

“I believe that a newspaper is a great civic asset and that ownership is best in the hands of foundations or wealthy families that want to own it for reasons other than maximizing profits. I also believe newspapers should remain in local hands.”