Ted Turner spoke at Stanford today and was a hilarious quote machine. Among all the funny quips, I loved his advice about the key to success as an entrepreneur:
“early to bed, early to rise…work like hell & advertise”
An animated speaker throughout, nothing got him more excited than a comment about captain planet, at which point he cut off the speaker and told everyone how proud he was that he had helped a whole generation of children learn about multiculturalism and the environment through his cartoon.
To me, the most impressive thing about him is that he donated $1B of his own money to pay off the United States’ debt to the UN.
Then, my favorite was this great quote about courage:
Then out spake brave Horatius, the Captain of the gate: To every man upon this earth, Death cometh soon or late. And how can man die better than facing fearful odds, for the ashes of his fathers, and the temples of his Gods,And for the tender mother who dandled him to rest, and for the wife who nurses, his baby at her breast, and for the holy maidens who feed the eternal flame, to save them from false Sextus that wrought the deed of shame?
Hew down the bridge, Sir Consul, with all the speed ye may; I, with two more to help me, will hold the foe in play. In yon strait path a thousand may well be stopped by three. Now who will stand on either hand, and keep the bridge with me?
I’ll keep that little ditty in my hip-pocket for the next time we need a little inspiration.
Can anyone who was there remember any of the other hilarious stuff he said?
