The first thing I started collecting was stamps. Until I started discovering girls. That was the end of stamps.

I never play golf because it takes too long, and the business connections it produces can be made just as easily over an early breakfast.

I've got a big ego, I admit it; I'm ego-driven.

If you ask why I do what I do - I want to make a difference. I don't just want to maintain the status quo. I want to help people, to work with institutions or create ones when they don't exist.

People think it's strange how briskly I move through museums. Sure, I could stand in front of each piece and stare at it for a good long time. But that's not me.

Twombly, frankly, was an acquired taste. I was not in love with Twombly the first time I saw one of his paintings.

My wife was the first art collector in the family, and I didn't become interested until around 1973. The first important artwork we bought was a Van Gogh drawing of two peasant houses in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer.

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

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.

I've become convinced that Los Angeles is going to become the next contemporary art capital - no other city has more contemporary gallery space than Los Angeles. We've come into our own, finally.

How absurd that our students tuck their cell phones, BlackBerrys, iPads, and iPods into their backpacks when they enter a classroom and pull out a tattered textbook.

If you have poor management that's not doing the right job, you end up with unions filling the void and... page after page of work rules and thicker and thicker contracts.

Artists rarely do the same thing over and over again. Art is about the new, doing things in a new way.

Anything I do, I spend a lot of time. I do it with passion and intensity. I want to be in charge.

I have always believed that every great city in history needs a vibrant center.

The American people frankly have been, over many, many years - to be blunt - fat, dumb and happy. If they want their children to compete with children in India, China or Korea, they better get them a far better education.

Art evokes emotion. It doesn't have to be a thing of beauty.

You can have great teachers, but if you don't have a good principal, you won't have a good school.

I've never been one who enjoys maintaining the status quo. I'm always pushing for new ideas, whether it's in business or philanthropy.

You don't support politicians in their elections if whoever's seeking money only has a goal to stay in office or get in office. You have to pick the people who are going to do the best job.

The best move you can make in negotiation is to think of an incentive the other person hasn't even thought of - and then meet it.

Someone once told me I'm a sore winner, and they're right. I rarely take more than a moment to enjoy a success before I'm moving on and looking for the next challenge.

The inability to delegate is one of the biggest problems I see with managers at all levels.

Civilizations are not remembered by their business people, their bankers or lawyers. They're remembered by the arts.