--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Bill Campbell: \"It's not about the…" description: "\"“Bill Campbell: \"It's not about the money.\" Ben Horowitz: \"What's it about, Bill?\" Bill: \"It's about the FUCKING money.”\" — Ben Horowitz" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2da/ben-horowitz-1791_apple_bill-campbell-it-s-not-about-the-money-b_103367.png" --- # Bill Campbell: "It's not about the money." Ben Horowitz… ![“Bill Campbell: "It's not about the money." Ben Horowitz: "What's it about, Bill?" Bill: "It's about the FUCKING money.” quote by Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2da/ben-horowitz-1791_apple_bill-campbell-it-s-not-about-the-money-b_103367.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2da/ben-horowitz-1791_apple_bill-campbell-it-s-not-about-the-money-b_103367.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2da/ben-horowitz-1791_apple_bill-campbell-it-s-not-about-the-money-b_103367.png) > ““Bill Campbell: "It's not about the money." Ben Horowitz: "What's it about, Bill?" Bill: "It's about the FUCKING money.”” [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The dialogue reveals that financial motives often masquerade as higher ideals, exposing a tension between stated values and underlying incentives. **In simple terms:** Money can be the hidden driver behind proclaimed ideals. Key Takeaway Stated purpose may mask profit motives. Themes business ethics motivation money culture Mood cynical ironic Type satirical business When to use this quote - startup pitch meeting - corporate mission statement review - investment negotiation Key Concepts behavioral economics organizational psychology Practical Applications - align incentives with transparent goals Questions to Reflect On - What are the risks of disguising profit as purpose? - How can organizations ensure genuine alignment? A Different Perspective Focusing solely on profit can erode trust and long‑term sustainability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Apple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apple/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ben-horowitz-1246492/) [Campbell Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/campbell-money-1246493/) [Fucking Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fucking-money-1246490/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Money Ben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money-ben-1246491/) [Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rich/) ## Related quotes > [Pete: Just don't ask me to lend you any money. Ben Stone: Can I just - have some?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/knocked-up-the-movie/pete-just-don-t-ask-me-to-lend-you-any-money-ben-stone-can-i-just/) [Knocked Up (The Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/knocked-up-the-movie/) > [Ben Horowitz, he's the guy. He's really big into hip-hop, and he's a brainiac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-iguodala/ben-horowitz-he-s-the-guy-he-s-really-big-into-hip-hop-and-he-s-a/) [Andre Iguodala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-iguodala/) > [“Ben Horowitz: “There is no silver bullet. . . . No, we’re going to have to use a lot of lead bullets.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/ben-horowitz-there-is-no-silver-bullet-no-we-re-going-to-have-to-use/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [Like a satellite in orbit, Apple is perpetually falling. It just happens to miss Earth every time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-dediu/like-a-satellite-in-orbit-apple-is-perpetually-falling-it-just/) [Horace Dediu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-dediu/) > [“You are the apple of Love’s eye.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-paul-kirkpatrick/you-are-the-apple-of-love-s-eye/) [David Paul Kirkpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-paul-kirkpatrick/) > [As far as Apple goes, it was a different company every few years from the time I joined in 1984.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/as-far-as-apple-goes-it-was-a-different-company-every-few-years-from/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [Back in my school days, when I would scuttle off with a cheese roll, an apple, a box of Sun-Maid raisins and a Penguin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-khoo/back-in-my-school-days-when-i-would-scuttle-off-with-a-cheese-roll-an/) [Rachel Khoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-khoo/) > [I love to eat an apple after a meal, just to cleanse my teeth - they always look polished afterwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-zeta-jones/i-love-to-eat-an-apple-after-a-meal-just-to-cleanse-my-teeth-they/) [Catherine Zeta-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-zeta-jones/) > [I like to make pies. 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It was the Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-beverly-whittemore/most-people-believe-the-apple-merely-represented-knowledge-but-we/) [Miranda Beverly-Whittemore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-beverly-whittemore/) > [“Neither's the one you get, less you want me to see if your apple's ripe, yet. - Yoren”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/neither-s-the-one-you-get-less-you-want-me-to-see-if-your-apple-s/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) ## More by Ben Horowitz > [There is no silver bullet. There are always options and the options have consequences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/there-is-no-silver-bullet-there-are-always-options-and-the-options/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [Groupon looked like a very high valuation, but any investment in a great company at any stage is almost always a good investment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/groupon-looked-like-a-very-high-valuation-but-any-investment-in-a/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [By far the most difficult skill I learned as a C.E.O. was the ability to manage my own psychology. Organizational design, process design, metrics,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/by-far-the-most-difficult-skill-i-learned-as-a-c-e-o-was-the-ability/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [“The hard thing is when those “great people” develop a sense of entitlement and start demanding unreasonable things. 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That's why they have lynch mobs, not lynch individuals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/one-person-is-never-as-stupid-as-a-group-of-people-that-s-why-they/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [“out the right product is the innovator’s job, not the customer’s job.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/out-the-right-product-is-the-innovator-s-job-not-the-customer-s-job/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [As companies move to web-based computing they get a lot more servers, which are difficult to manage and control. 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The first kind is one you can call when something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/no-matter-who-you-are-you-need-two-kinds-of-friends-in-your-life-the/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [“The difference between being mediocre and magical is often the difference between letting people take creative risk and holding them too tightly accountable. Accountability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/the-difference-between-being-mediocre-and-magical-is-often-the/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) > [When raising money, you want to look through the lens of 'What happens when things go wrong?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-horowitz/when-raising-money-you-want-to-look-through-the-lens-of-what-happens/) [Ben Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) [Explore all 207 Ben Horowitz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-horowitz/) ## More Apple quotes > [“Neither's the one you get, less you want me to see if your apple's ripe, yet. - Yoren”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/neither-s-the-one-you-get-less-you-want-me-to-see-if-your-apple-s/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [“Most people believe the apple merely represented Knowledge. But we know better. 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I think Steve Jobs has started one of the greatest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kid-rock/i-m-not-only-a-fan-of-apple-products-i-have-stock-in-the-company-i/) [Kid Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kid-rock/) > [When Apple introduced its game-changing iPhone in 2007, Nokia was caught sleeping on the job. Although it had actually developed an iPhone-style device -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noreena-hertz/when-apple-introduced-its-game-changing-iphone-in-2007-nokia-was/) [Noreena Hertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noreena-hertz/) > [I like to make pies. That's kind of my new obsession - peach, blueberry, apple, strawberry. I make a really good pumpkin pie with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-saylor/i-like-to-make-pies-that-s-kind-of-my-new-obsession-peach-blueberry/) [Morgan Saylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-saylor/) > [I love to eat an apple after a meal, just to cleanse my teeth - they always look polished afterwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-zeta-jones/i-love-to-eat-an-apple-after-a-meal-just-to-cleanse-my-teeth-they/) [Catherine Zeta-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-zeta-jones/) > [Back in my school days, when I would scuttle off with a cheese roll, an apple, a box of Sun-Maid raisins and a Penguin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-khoo/back-in-my-school-days-when-i-would-scuttle-off-with-a-cheese-roll-an/) [Rachel Khoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-khoo/) > [As far as Apple goes, it was a different company every few years from the time I joined in 1984.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/as-far-as-apple-goes-it-was-a-different-company-every-few-years-from/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [“You are the apple of Love’s eye.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-paul-kirkpatrick/you-are-the-apple-of-love-s-eye/) [David Paul Kirkpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-paul-kirkpatrick/) > [Like a satellite in orbit, Apple is perpetually falling. 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