--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Great riches have sold more men than they…" description: "\"Great riches have sold more men than they have bought.\" — Francis Bacon" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48a/francis-bacon-297_men_great-riches-have-sold-more-men-than-the_3015465.jpg" --- # Great riches have sold more men than they have bought. ![“Great riches have sold more men than they have bought.” quote by Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48a/francis-bacon-297_men_great-riches-have-sold-more-men-than-the_3015465.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48a/francis-bacon-297_men_great-riches-have-sold-more-men-than-the_3015465.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/48a/francis-bacon-297_men_great-riches-have-sold-more-men-than-the_3015465.jpg) > “Great riches have sold more men than they have bought.” [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Wealth often corrupts people, making them slaves to desire rather than masters of virtue. **In simple terms:** Wealth can corrupt, turning people into slaves. Key Takeaway Guard against greed and stay virtuous. Themes wealth corruption virtue Mood cautionary philosophical Type advice reflective When to use this quote - financial success - political power - social status - personal ambition Key Concepts materialism ethics self-control Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards prevent wealth from corrupting? - Can wealth be used ethically? A Different Perspective Not all wealth leads to corruption. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Great Riches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-riches-333807/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men Bought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-bought-4854571/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Riches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/riches/) [Riches Sold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/riches-sold-4854569/) [Sold Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sold-men-4854570/) ## Related quotes > [The Emperor himself amassed his great riches. The older he grew, the greater became his greed, his pitiable cupidity... he and his people took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haile-selassie/the-emperor-himself-amassed-his-great-riches-the-older-he-grew-the/) [Haile Selassie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haile-selassie/) > [If you do not see great riches in your imagination, you will never see them in your bank balance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/if-you-do-not-see-great-riches-in-your-imagination-you-will-never-see/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [Were a man to order his life by the rules of true reason, a frugal substance joined to a contented mind is for him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucretius/were-a-man-to-order-his-life-by-the-rules-of-true-reason-a-frugal/) [Lucretius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucretius/) > [A little House well fill'd, a little Field well till'd, and a little Wife well will'd, are great Riches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/a-little-house-well-fill-d-a-little-field-well-till-d-and-a-little/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [But if anyone were to conduct his life by reason He would find great riches in living a peaceful life And being contented; one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucretius/but-if-anyone-were-to-conduct-his-life-by-reason-he-would-find-great/) [Lucretius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucretius/) > [A good name is still to be preferred over great riches. Especially it is to be preferred to the appearance of riches, aquired with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/a-good-name-is-still-to-be-preferred-over-great-riches-especially-it/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [Every person who will learn the right way, and who will then continue diligently to follow that right way, is absolutely certain in time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-franklin-rutherford/every-person-who-will-learn-the-right-way-and-who-will-then-continue/) [Joseph Franklin Rutherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-franklin-rutherford/) > [A good name is still to be preferred to great riches. Especially is it to be preferred to the appearance of riches, acquired with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/a-good-name-is-still-to-be-preferred-to-great-riches-especially-is-it/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [Ignorance is degrading only when found in company with great riches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/ignorance-is-degrading-only-when-found-in-company-with-great-riches/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [The windfall of great riches can, if mismanaged, make things worse, not better, for the recipients.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mandelbaum/the-windfall-of-great-riches-can-if-mismanaged-make-things-worse-not/) [Michael Mandelbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mandelbaum/) > [Men who have great riches and little culture rush into business, because they are weary of themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-greeley/men-who-have-great-riches-and-little-culture-rush-into-business/) [Horace Greeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-greeley/) > [Great beauty, great strength, and great riches are really and truly of no great use; a right heart exceeds all](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/great-beauty-great-strength-and-great-riches-are-really-and-truly-of/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Believe not much them that seem to despise riches, for they despise them that despair of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/believe-not-much-them-that-seem-to-despise-riches-for-they-despise/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Riches are for spending, and spending for honor and good actions; therefore extraordinary expense must be limited by the worth of the occasion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/riches-are-for-spending-and-spending-for-honor-and-good-actions/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [If you are poor, shun association with him who measures men with the yardstick of riches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/if-you-are-poor-shun-association-with-him-who-measures-men-with-the/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) ## More by Francis Bacon > [Princes are like heavenly bodies, which cause good or evil times, and which have much veneration, but no rest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/princes-are-like-heavenly-bodies-which-cause-good-or-evil-times-and/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [The best preservative to keep the mind in health is the faithful admonition of a friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/the-best-preservative-to-keep-the-mind-in-health-is-the-faithful/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Since custom is the principal magistrate of man's life, let men by all means endeavor to obtain good customs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/since-custom-is-the-principal-magistrate-of-man-s-life-let-men-by-all/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Painting today is pure intuition and luck and taking advantage of what happens when you splash the stuff down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/painting-today-is-pure-intuition-and-luck-and-taking-advantage-of/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [I usually accept bribes from both sides so that tainted money can never influence my decision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/i-usually-accept-bribes-from-both-sides-so-that-tainted-money-can/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Much bending breaks the bow; much unbending the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/much-bending-breaks-the-bow-much-unbending-the-mind/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [When Christ came into the world, peace was sung; and when He went out of the world, peace was bequeathed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/when-christ-came-into-the-world-peace-was-sung-and-when-he-went-out/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [...neither is it possible to discover the more remote and deeper parts of any science, if you stand but upon the level of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/neither-is-it-possible-to-discover-the-more-remote-and-deeper-parts/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [The divisions of science are not like different lines that meet in one angle, but rather like the branches of trees that join in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/the-divisions-of-science-are-not-like-different-lines-that-meet-in/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [The human understanding, when any preposition has been once laid down... forces everything else to add fresh support and confirmation; and although more cogent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/the-human-understanding-when-any-preposition-has-been-once-laid-down/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [I should have been, I don't know, a con-man, a robber or a prostitute. But it was vanity that made me choose painting, vanity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/i-should-have-been-i-don-t-know-a-con-man-a-robber-or-a-prostitute/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Wounds cannot be cured without searching.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/wounds-cannot-be-cured-without-searching/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [The French are wiser than they seem, and the Spaniards seem wiser than they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/the-french-are-wiser-than-they-seem-and-the-spaniards-seem-wiser-than/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [When a man laughs at his troubles he loses a great many friends. They never forgive the loss of their prerogative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/when-a-man-laughs-at-his-troubles-he-loses-a-great-many-friends-they/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Believing that I was born for the service of mankind, and regarding the care of the commonwealth as a kind of common property which,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/believing-that-i-was-born-for-the-service-of-mankind-and-regarding/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) [Explore all 711 Francis Bacon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) ## More Men quotes > [When I passed the Chancellor he arose, waved his hand at me, and I waved back at him. 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