Reaction
The New York Times cited an earlier article published in its Magazine section that listed the wealthiest men in the world as King Saud (Saudi Arabia), the Sheik of Kuwait, the Sheik of Qatar, the Nizam of Hyderabad, and American H. L. Hunt; at odds with the Fortune list's description of J. Paul Getty as the richest American.
Getty, asked his reaction and whether he was really worth a billion dollars, said "You know, if you can count your money, you don't have a billion dollars" and then famously added, "But remember, a billion dollars isn't worth what it used to be."
Some felt that the list was incorrect by virtue of their omission; among those that were included, some felt the amount of their fortune had been misstated. An article the next year in The New York Times by Cleveland Amory mentioned that after publication of the list, one hitherto anonymous oil man, Tulsa's James A. Chapman, was particularly indignant. "I don't like my name in print at all, but when I do, I like it accurate. Why I could buy and sell that Paul Getty." Arthur Vining Davis, who was then 91 and had the ambition to become a billionaire, contacted the Fortune editor directly. "Young man, if I had $20 and owed $18, would you estimate that I was worth $20 or $2?"
Read more about this topic: Wealthiest Americans (1957)
Famous quotes containing the word reaction:
“The excessive increase of anything often causes a reaction in the opposite direction.”
—Plato (c. 427–347 B.C.)
“More and more, when faced with the world of men, the only reaction is one of individualism. Man alone is an end unto himself. Everything one tries to do for the common good ends in failure.”
—Albert Camus (1913–1960)