"It never occurred to me that I might lose; to me, it was almost as if I had a right to win. Thinking like that often seems to turn into sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy."

"I'm a big believer in common sense."

"I like to tell a story about one of our early managers who wanted to buy a new car. I told him, 'You're not going to get a raise until you drive that car for five years.'"

"Capitalism is the greatest thing that ever happened to mankind."

"Sam later claimed that he had spent more time in Kmart stores than any Kmart executive... Unlike many businesspeople, Sam never focused on the weaknesses or problems of his competitors, he only looked…"