Howard Hughes was a business magnate from Houston, Texas. His image as an innovator in difficult industries like film and avionics has been popularized thanks to famous movies like “The Aviator”, directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

He had a controversial life and his way of doing business was as controversial as hid characters and public appearances. In his quotes, you can have a grasp of him.

“It is only the future in which I am really vitally interested.” Howard Hughes

It’s no mystery that Howard Hughes has always been fascinated with the future, and it’s exactly this attitude of being a visionary that has fascinated so many people around his character compared to other billionaires.

“Do the impossible, because almost everyone has told me my ideas are merely fantasies.” Howard Hughes

As the saying go, “it is easier to do the impossible because there is less competition at the top”, people often aim for less than what they can actually accomplish and Howard Hughes is the exemplification of how many incredible things you can reach in life if you strive for it.



“Passion will make you crazy, but is there any other way to live?” Howard Hughes

Sure striving for doing the impossible means being obsessed, it’s constant persistence. But isn’t this a sign of a life worth living, rather than one spent sitting on the sofa?

“I’m not a paranoid deranged millionaire. Goddamit, I’m a billionaire.” Howard Hughes

We have included this quote because it shows a typical side of Howard Hughes. He was controversial and over the top, and that’s what made him so attractive and magnetic too so many people in Los Angeles and the world.

“Every man has his price, or a guy like me couldn’t exist.” Howard Hughes

Don’t get it wrong. It doesn’t mean that Howard Hughes corrupted any individual, at least we don’t have any documentation of that. However, he wasn’t an engineer or had no technical skills whatsoever, but he still managed to get lots of results in the heavily technical industries because he hired the best.

“I intend to be the greatest golfer in the world, the finest film producer in Hollywood, the greatest pilot in the world, and the richest man in the world.” Howard Hughes

“I wanted to see New York . . . so I tried to see how fast I could do it in.” Howard Hughes

Outside of business, Hughes was famous for his record-breaking career as an aviator. Perhaps he was so interested in airplanes because they resembled his strive for going above the usual imaginary.

“A million dollars isn’t what it used to be.” Howard Hughes

If I have made a mistake in the design, then I’m the one who should pay for it. I certainly would not ask somebody else to fly a plane if I were afraid to do it myself.” Howard Hughes

“I intend to be, the richest man in the world.” Howard Hughes

“The Hercules’ was a monumental undertaking. It is the largest aircraft ever built… I put the sweat of my life into this thing. If it’s a failure, I’ll leave the country and never come back.” Howard Hughes

“I want to be remembered for only one thing: my contribution to aviation.” Howard Hughes

“I am by nature a perfectionist, and I seem to have trouble allowing anything to go through in a half-perfect condition. So if I made any mistake it was in working too hard and in doing too much of it with my own hands.” Howard Hughes

“The only time an aircraft has too much fuel onboard is when it is on fire.” Howard Hughes

“I am willing to go beyond all limitations.” Howard Hughes

“If we worked on the assumption that what is accepted as true really is true, then there would be little hope for advance.” Howard Hughes

Howard Hughes was striving for so-called “zero to one” innovations, not incremental, but groundbreaking and disruptive. In a certain way, he is so popular these days because he, like Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, or even Shark Tank’s show hosts such as Kevin O’Leary inspires entrepreneurs and innovators to create something more ambitious.

“If you have a workforce that enjoys each other, they trust each other, they trust management, they’re proud of where they work – then they’re going to deliver a good product.” Howard Hughes

“Men become wise just as they become rich, more by what they save than by what they receive.” Howard Hughes

“I have learned you cannot fulfill a great purpose like the building of Nevada and make ice-cream on the front porch every night too.” Howard Hughes

“I have my own religion. My conception of religion is being to the other fellow what you would like for him to be to you and do what you think is necessary to be the type of man that God could appreciate.” Howard Hughes

“This is a business. The purpose of a business is to make money. If it happens to make art, too, that would be secondary and accidental.” Howard Hughes

“Living in dreams of yesterday, we find ourselves still dreaming of impossible future conquests.” Howard Hughes

“It’s so important to experience what your customers are experiencing and listen to their suggestions.” Howard Hughes

“Adventure is the essence of life.“ Howard Hughes

“I’m going to break every damn aviation record there is.” Howard Hughes

“There is nothing that interests me more than medical research and the quest for better living facilities, and better health and better medical standards, not only in the United States but throughout the world. This, to me, is where we should be concentrating our greatest efforts. In fact, possibly – I might say that I feel it could be more important than some of the space activity.” Howard Hughes

“The trouble with my life is that I do not think I am cut out to sit behind a desk.” Howard Hughes

“Money can’t buy happiness.” Howard Hughes

“About all else, I want to be the most famous man in the world. And I don’t care by what means I become famous, as long as fame comes.” Howard Hughes

“Never make a decision. Let someone else make it and then if it turns out to be the wrong one, you can disclaim it, and if it is the right one you can abide by it.“ Howard Hughes

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