Real writers-that is, capital W Writers-rarely make much money. Their biggest reward is the occasional reader's response.... Commentators-in-print voicing big fat opinions-you might call us small w writers-get considerably more feedback than Writers. The letters I personally find most flattering are not the very rare ones that speak well of my editorials, but the occasional reader who wants to know who writes them. I always happily assume the letter-writers is implying that the editorials are so good that I couldn't have written them myself.

I made my money the old-fashioned way. I was very nice to a wealthy relative right before he died.

Where you're from only matters in relation to where you are.

If you expect nothing, you're apt to be surprised. You'll get it.

Speculator: One who bought stocks that went down.

Diversity: the art of thinking independently together.

I don't think anybody can be a success who doesn't like what they do. [But it's] no job if it has no challenge; there's nothing to it if there are no problems. The essential thing is liking what you're doing.