The 80-year-old New York City-born music mogul David Geffen is the creator of several record companies, including his namesake Geffen Records and DGC Records. He also created DreamWorks. He has helped shepherd more songs than just about anyone.
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But with so much success in the entertainment business, one might wonder what Geffen has to say about his success, the people he’s worked with, his love of art, and how he got into the industry.
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1. “Anybody who thinks money will make you happy, hasn’t got money.”
2. “I thought I’d be a success even back in the mailroom at William Morris.”
3. “I would say that Bob Dylan is as interested in money as any person I’ve known in my life. That’s just the truth.”
4. “My mother taught me to love my work. I learned everything about business from her.”
5. “I believe we’re all in denial about the people we love.”
6. “I just needed a job. Before being hired as an usher at the CBS Theatre, I didn’t even know there was a show business!”
7. “I never went to business school. I was just bumbling through a lot of my life. I was like the guy behind the curtain in The Wizard of Oz.”
8. “I intend to be me. Whatever that is.”
9. “To be able to live and work in the United States is a privilege.”
10. “You have an idea of the way you think it is, and it’s not that way at all, it’s something else.”
11. “In Hollywood people lie to each other and cheat each other and then go and play tennis. But I don’t want to be a tennis player.”
12. “It’s very easy for me to thank everyone for the incredible contribution they’ve made to my life.”
(Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage)
