My interest in life comes from setting myself huge, apparently unachievable challenges and trying to rise above them.

Our model is to develop each business separately with its own shareholder and management - this way we can concentrate on the job in hand, rather than be part of some enormous and faceless conglomerate.

The key is to set realistic customer expectations, and then not to just meet them, but to exceed them - preferably in unexpected and helpful ways.

The extraordinary thing about the record industry is how success can take off without warning.

I don't live my life thinking about "if only." I just try to think positively about the future. We'll never know for certain what would have happened if we'd gone to Iraq. The important thing is that we've got to do everything we can to prevent other wars.

About 40 percent of my time is spent on social issues and building new organizations, more for the benefit of the climate or health issues.

Tough times are inevitable in life and in business. But how you compose yourself during those times defines your spirit and will define your future.