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Anime and Manga
"They don't call me Greed for nothing. I want money. I want women, status, and power. I want everything this world's selling and eternity's topping the list!"
"More... More... I want more..."
Comic Books
"He won't stop. He'll never stop. He'll just keep murdering. And hurting. And taking. And taking and taking and taking. He thinks he's entitled. He thinks he deserves everything he takes. And he will never stop."
—- Matt Murdock/Daredevil describing William Fisk/The Kingpin, Daredevil
What's mine is mine
and mine and mine,
And mine, and mine, and mine!
Not yours!
and mine and mine,
And mine, and mine, and mine!
Not yours!
— Orange Lantern Oath, Green Lantern
Fan Fiction
"You know something Vlad, you can't look me in eye and honestly tell me that your life has been all that terrible! It just wasn't ENOUGH for you! You could take away everything that ever meant anything to anyone, and the rest of the world besides, and it STILL wouldn't be enough for you! Never enough MONEY! Never enough Attention! Never enough... EVERYTHING!"
— Maddie Fenton to Vlad Plasmius, Facing the Future Series
Spike: This [wedding ring] is my most valuable possession. Not because of what it is, but what it signifies.
Smaug: That is the thing you have which holds most value? Then I desire it.
Spike: Why? I mean, it's my wedding ring... That's why it matters to me.
Smaug: Because you have it, and I do not.
Smaug: That is the thing you have which holds most value? Then I desire it.
Spike: Why? I mean, it's my wedding ring... That's why it matters to me.
Smaug: Because you have it, and I do not.
Film — Animation
Bugs Bunny: What's with you, anyway?
Daffy Duck: I can't help it. I'm a greedy slob. It's my hobby.
Daffy Duck: I can't help it. I'm a greedy slob. It's my hobby.
— "Ali Baba Bunny"
"Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine."
— Seagulls, Finding Nemo
"When will you realize? The more you take, the less you have."
— Oogway to Kai, Kung Fu Panda 3
At first I didn't realize
I needed all this stuff
I had a little cottage
And that cottage was enough
A place where I could sit and knit
A place where I could sell my Thneeds
But now I have a little time
To reassess my needs
And I need a bigger office
I need a bigger chair
A bigger desk, a bigger staff
A bigger hat to wear
Because I'm biggering
I'm figuring on biggering
And biggering
Is triggering
More biggering
I needed all this stuff
I had a little cottage
And that cottage was enough
A place where I could sit and knit
A place where I could sell my Thneeds
But now I have a little time
To reassess my needs
And I need a bigger office
I need a bigger chair
A bigger desk, a bigger staff
A bigger hat to wear
Because I'm biggering
I'm figuring on biggering
And biggering
Is triggering
More biggering
"And I want my Spuddies. I love those things. 'Cause with a Spuddie, enough just isn't enough."
— Vincent, Over the Hedge
"Besides, you and I both know the real power in this world ain't magic. It's money! Buckets of it!"
— Dr. Facilier, The Princess and the Frog
Miguel: Any... regrets?
Tulio: You mean besides dying? Yeah. I never... had enough... gold.
Tulio: You mean besides dying? Yeah. I never... had enough... gold.
"We've got to have... moneyyyyyyyyy."
— Lickboot, Tom and Jerry: The Movie
"I stole them Night Howlers so I could sell 'em. They offered me what I couldn't refuse: Money."
— Duke Weaselton, Zootopia
Film — Live-Action
"Choose money over honey? Shiiiiit! Man, you can pull out my groin, just gimme that coin! Man, I'd rather be dead than not have any bread! Pinky's mama didn't raise no fool!"
— Pinky, Black Belt Jones
"They always want more. They already have everything. And still, they want more."
— Dr. Kritzinger on the S.S., Conspiracy (2001)
"Mr. Bond, Mr. Bond, all my life I have been in love. I have been in love with gold. I love its colour, its brilliance, its divine heaviness..."
— Auric Goldfinger, Goldfinger
"When it comes to money, things get funny."
— The Blacksmith, The Man with the Iron Fists
"When I put everyone here naked, I wasn't trying to be cute. It was because I didn't wanna create clothes. When you got clothes, you got pockets. When you got pockets, you gotta put something in them."
"Flesh is weak, blood is cheap
Inconsistent consistently
Use your sense, save your cents
The only thing with persistence is gold!"
Inconsistent consistently
Use your sense, save your cents
The only thing with persistence is gold!"
— Rotti Largo, Repo! The Genetic Opera
"All for one... and more for me!"
"The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed — for lack of a better word — is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms — greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge — has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed — you mark my words — will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA."
— Gordon Gekko, Wall Street
"The year I turned twenty-six, I made forty-nine million dollars, which really pissed me off because it was three shy of a million a week."
— Jordan Belfort, The Wolf of Wall Street
Literature
"[Drevin's] got as much money as anyone could possibly want; but the funny thing is, people like that — they always want more."
— Joe Byrne, Alex Rider, "Ark Angel"
As if Jericho couldn't wait to get out of the company fast enough, his fiancee went to the store one day and bought a Jericho-Malenko WCW doll set. Strangely, the receipt claimed that she'd purchased a Hogan-Sting package. Of course, that meant that Hogan and Sting got the residual revenue from the purchase, not Jericho.
His rage passes description — the sort of rage that is only seen when rich folk that have more than they can enjoy suddenly lose something that they have long had but have never before used or wanted.
—- Smaug's reaction when he discovers that Bilbo stole an insignificant cup from his hoard, The Hobbit
"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."
— Thorin Oakenshield, The Hobbit
Among the rich you will never find a really generous man even by accident. They may give their money away, but they will never give themselves away; they are egotistic, secretive, dry as old bones. To be smart enough to get all that money you must be dull enough to want it.
— G. K. Chesterton, A Miscellany of Men
"[Lotus]'s the reason why magic is disappearing, because she's strangled nearly all of it out of the stone. She doesn't even want to do anything with it. By now, she should have the power to shape the universe, but she never really learned how to use it properly. Because all she cares about is having it, not using it. She just wants to have it because she doesn't want anyone else to have it."
— Monster Dionysus, Monster
Gold conjures up a mist about a man, more destructive of all his old senses and lulling to his feelings than the fumes of charcoal.
"Magic is coin. It's incredibly powerful, and beautiful and transformative. But to people like the Hierarch, it's just a chit. He'll push down anyone — rival osteomancers, his own people, your people. He'll kill anyone and destroy anything, just as long as he ends up with the most chits. And he's really, really good at it."
— Sebastian Blackland, The Wolf and the Manticore, by Greg Van Eekhout
Live-Action TV
"DON'T YOU TOUCH MY MONEY!"
— Walter White, Breaking Bad
"This mailbox is mine
And this triagonal sign
That blue balloon
The month of June
They're mine, mine, mine, mine, mine!"
And this triagonal sign
That blue balloon
The month of June
They're mine, mine, mine, mine, mine!"
— Stingy, LazyTown
"All I need is cash
Give me all your money
Give back the money
Give me all your money!"
Give me all your money
Give back the money
Give me all your money!"
Music
I want it all, I want it all,
Won't stop at all 'till I've got it all
I want it all, I want it all
Won't stop at all 'till I've got it all
It's everybody's dream
To conquer everything
If you want it all, you want it all
Don't stop at all
'Till you've got it all
Won't stop at all 'till I've got it all
I want it all, I want it all
Won't stop at all 'till I've got it all
It's everybody's dream
To conquer everything
If you want it all, you want it all
Don't stop at all
'Till you've got it all
— JT Music, "Want It All"
Money, it's a crime
Share it fairly but don't take a slice of my pie
Share it fairly but don't take a slice of my pie
— Pink Floyd, "Money"
Mythology and Religion
Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.
Tabletop Games
"The world is full of worthy things, and they should all belong to you."
Of all the traditional deadly sins, greed is the most pernicious. For love of money, people have murdered, robbed, enslaved, betrayed, and taken nations to war with each other. To greed, material wealth is the only worthwhile thing in life. It is God, savior, and means to power all wrapped up in one neat bank account. It replaces morality. Anything that earns money is good, anything which loses money is evil. There is nothing more to know.
As long as there is more out there to be owned, the greedy man cannot rest on his laurels. The desire to own more, acquire more, and control more will slay any temporary satisfaction he might have with his estate. The world itself is not enough. Acquisition becomes an addiction that grows as it is fed — a restless, burning hunger that demands constant attention. A greedy person becomes incapable of seeing anyone or anything without instantly wondering how to profit from them. Greed has no friends; only dupes, slaves, and rivals.
As long as there is more out there to be owned, the greedy man cannot rest on his laurels. The desire to own more, acquire more, and control more will slay any temporary satisfaction he might have with his estate. The world itself is not enough. Acquisition becomes an addiction that grows as it is fed — a restless, burning hunger that demands constant attention. A greedy person becomes incapable of seeing anyone or anything without instantly wondering how to profit from them. Greed has no friends; only dupes, slaves, and rivals.
—In Nomine: Superiors 4: Rogues to Riches
Video Games
Dr. Mary Phillips: Ask your accountant if you can register them as dependents. Then hide most of your net worth offshore in a complex money laundering system designed to support the drugs trade. Then you can pay virtually no taxes and complain how awful you think the whole country is, knowing you're doing as little as possible to help!
Caller: Cool, thanks! That's good advice!
Dr. Peyton Phillips: I am appalled at you, Mary Phillips.
Mary: Ugh. Why?
Peyton: Because that man has a garden full of corpses and you're talking about MONEY LAUNDERING!
Mary: Yes, it's a great opportunity for some profit-centric thinking!
Caller: Cool, thanks! That's good advice!
Dr. Peyton Phillips: I am appalled at you, Mary Phillips.
Mary: Ugh. Why?
Peyton: Because that man has a garden full of corpses and you're talking about MONEY LAUNDERING!
Mary: Yes, it's a great opportunity for some profit-centric thinking!
— "I Say, You Say", GTA Radio
"You'd have to be a moron to turn down infinite wealth for some stupid ideals!"
— Caravan, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: The 7th Stand User, Betrayal Ending
"The Morgans fear what may not be purchased, for a trader cannot comprehend a thing that is priceless."
— Sister Miriam Godwinson, Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri
"Resources exist to be consumed. And consumed they will be, if not by this generation then by some future. By what right does this forgotten future seek to deny us our birthright? None I say! Let us take what is ours, chew and eat our fill."
— CEO Nwabudike Morgan, Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri
"Greed is good."
— The Administrator/Helen, Team Fortress 2
"Ammo... Rations... All mine!"
— The Brawler, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide
Web Original
Chris Sims: The TV screen reveals that there are four criminals currently at large, which, in a city of 10,000,000, speaks pretty highly of Batman's abilities: The Penguin, the Joker, the Riddler, and of course, Catwoman. Who was just in the room.
David Uzumeri: Catwoman's picture is of her insanely Hal Jordanning it for the camera like it's Green Lantern #49
.
David Uzumeri: Catwoman's picture is of her insanely Hal Jordanning it for the camera like it's Green Lantern #49
.Thanks to a little thing called The Internet, finding out if you're about to perform for a dictator-type has never been easier. For example, you could throw their name into a search engine with the words "is maybe a dictator?" and see what comes up. Or you could use email and see if you receive any concerned emails from human rights groups with the subject line: "So I heard you're about to perform for a dictator...". Or, if you're Nicki Minaj, you say "Fuck it" and perform for the dictator anyway.
— DListed, "Today in Not-Great Decisions"
, "Today in Not-Great Decisions"Heather even has recordings of Paul admitting he's worth £800 million. Oh shit! I bet Heather does a spot on Paul McCartney impersonation. Well, she has nothing else to do all day. The recording probably goes something like this, "Ello. My name is Paul McCartney and I am worth £800 million. Heather Mills is a saint and she should receive all my money as well as any money I may make in the future. Heather should also take my soul and any of my working organs."
— Michael K., DListed, "Give It a Leg!"
, "Give It a Leg!"George Lucas: Someone blind to the irony of their rags-to-riches story.
He's more machine now than man, twisted & evil....
He's more machine now than man, twisted & evil....
Western Animation
"My one and only dream — which was to possess money — has come true!"
— Grunkle Stan, Gravity Falls
Twilight Sparkle: Do you even know what you just stole?!
Corrupted Rarity: No, but if you want it, I want it!
Corrupted Rarity: No, but if you want it, I want it!
Homer: Ya know, Mr. Burns, you're the richest guy I know — way richer than Lenny.
Mr. Burns: Yes, but I'd trade it all for a little more.
Mr. Burns: Yes, but I'd trade it all for a little more.
"Am I really going to defile this grave for money...? Of course I am!"
—Mr. Krabs, SpongeBob SquarePants
"More! More! More! More! More! More! MOAR! More! More! More! More! More! More! MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORE!"
— Mr. Krabs, SpongeBob SquarePants
"Cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching-er-ee
There's nothing on earth like the feeling of greed!
There's nothing on earth...
Like the feeling of greed!
Arr-har-har-har-har-har!"
There's nothing on earth like the feeling of greed!
There's nothing on earth...
Like the feeling of greed!
Arr-har-har-har-har-har!"
— Mr. Krabs, SpongeBob SquarePants
Real Life
A covetous man is good to none, but worst to himself.
— Latin proverb
"He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have."
— Socrates
"There's nothing wrong with men possessing riches. The wrong comes when riches possess men."
— Billy Graham
"There is no crime greater than having too many desires. There is no disaster greater than not being content; There is no misfortune greater than being covetous."
— Laozi
"I know of nothing more despicable and pathetic than a man who devotes all the hours of the waking day to the making of money for money's sake."
— John D. Rockefeller
