---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The whole thing is, really, money makes…"
description: "\"The whole thing is, really, money makes money. That's the whole thing about capitalism. Without the capital, there is no -ism.\" — Li Lu"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32e/li-lu-18293_about_the-whole-thing-is-really-money-makes-mo_2430908.jpg"
---

#  The whole thing is, really, money makes money. That's the…

![“The whole thing is, really, money makes money. That's the whole thing about capitalism. Without the capital, there is no -ism.” quote by Li Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32e/li-lu-18293_about_the-whole-thing-is-really-money-makes-mo_2430908.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32e/li-lu-18293_about_the-whole-thing-is-really-money-makes-mo_2430908.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32e/li-lu-18293_about_the-whole-thing-is-really-money-makes-mo_2430908.jpg)

> “The whole thing is, really, money makes money. That's the whole thing about capitalism. Without the capital, there is no -ism.”

[Li Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-lu/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Capitalism relies on reinvested capital to generate more wealth; without initial capital, the system cannot function.

**In simple terms:** Money generates more money through investment.

Key Takeaway

Invest wisely to grow wealth.

Themes

economics capitalism wealth creation

Mood

analytical critical

Type

economic philosophical

When to use this quote

- business planning
- personal finance
- entrepreneurship
- market analysis

Key Concepts

investment interest financial systems

Questions to Reflect On

- How does capital inequality affect economic growth?
- What ethical limits exist for profit‑driven systems?

A Different Perspective

Assumes access to capital, ignoring inequality.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Capitalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalism/) [Economics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economics/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/)

## Related quotes

> [Success makes success, like money makes money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/success-makes-success-like-money-makes-money/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [My money makes money my stocks are tripling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-wall/my-money-makes-money-my-stocks-are-tripling/)

[Paul Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-wall/)

> [Money makes money. And the money that makes money makes more money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/money-makes-money-and-the-money-that-makes-money-makes-more-money/)

[Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/)

> [“I wish art was like money in that the more I made, the more interest it developed and plentiful it became. Money makes money,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-wish-art-was-like-money-in-that-the-more-i-made-the-more-interest/)

[Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/)

> [“No other place can so convincingly claim to be the capital of capitalism, the capital of the 20th century and the capital of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-t-jackson/no-other-place-can-so-convincingly-claim-to-be-the-capital-of/)

Kenneth T. Jackson

> [To walk in money through the night crowd, protected by money, lulled by money, dulled by money, the crowd itself a money, the breath…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/to-walk-in-money-through-the-night-crowd-protected-by-money-lulled-by/)

[Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/)

> [I don't like the idea of capitalism anyway. Because it's not capital we are talking about; it's knowledge and creating well-being. Because I mean,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-koch/i-don-t-like-the-idea-of-capitalism-anyway-because-it-s-not-capital/)

[Charles Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-koch/)

> [It seems to me self-evident that we cannot have capitalism without capital and, very importantly, that the ultimate source of all economic capital is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prince-charles/it-seems-to-me-self-evident-that-we-cannot-have-capitalism-without/)

[Prince Charles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prince-charles/)

> [Capitalism without capital is just an ism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-jackson/capitalism-without-capital-is-just-an-ism/)

[Jesse Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-jackson/)

> [The trouble with capitalism as a system is that only those who have or can get capital can make it work for them, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-ivins/the-trouble-with-capitalism-as-a-system-is-that-only-those-who-have/)

[Molly Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-ivins/)

> [It's really not about the money. It's just about educating yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-leslie/it-s-really-not-about-the-money-it-s-just-about-educating-yourself/)

[Lisa Leslie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-leslie/)

> [“It’s all about money and votes. But in the end, it’s really money that drives their decision making. In”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-akart/it-s-all-about-money-and-votes-but-in-the-end-it-s-really-money-that/)

[Bobby Akart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-akart/)

> [See, I'm a risk taker. If I feel very opinionated, I can really put the money on the table.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rakesh-jhunjhunwala/see-i-m-a-risk-taker-if-i-feel-very-opinionated-i-can-really-put-the/)

[Rakesh Jhunjhunwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rakesh-jhunjhunwala/)

> [I don't know what to think of the money. It's kind of mind-boggling. I come from a middle-class, blue-collar family. We've never really had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-burrell/i-don-t-know-what-to-think-of-the-money-it-s-kind-of-mind-boggling-i/)

[Pat Burrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-burrell/)

> [Over the years I've learned being rich doesn't really have anything to do with money. That's being wealthy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-zolciak-biermann/over-the-years-i-ve-learned-being-rich-doesn-t-really-have-anything/)

[Kim Zolciak-Biermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-zolciak-biermann/)

## More by Li Lu

> [Everyone has blind spots, and even the brightest people are no exceptions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-lu/everyone-has-blind-spots-and-even-the-brightest-people-are-no/)

[Li Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-lu/)

> [Mao Zedong's way was to make people crazy. It was like a religious cult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-lu/mao-zedong-s-way-was-to-make-people-crazy-it-was-like-a-religious-cult/)

[Li Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-lu/)

> [Without a free man, there is no free market. That's called exploitation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-lu/without-a-free-man-there-is-no-free-market-that-s-called-exploitation/)

[Li Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-lu/)

> [All companies incur expenses, some of which are fixed and bear no relation to sales volumes. In this way, profits can grow at a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-lu/all-companies-incur-expenses-some-of-which-are-fixed-and-bear-no/)

[Li Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-lu/)

> [I grew up in Communist China and never had much money to my name, and then, all of a sudden, I had giant student…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-lu/i-grew-up-in-communist-china-and-never-had-much-money-to-my-name-and/)

[Li Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-lu/)

> [A 'competence' that has no defined borders cannot be called a true competence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-lu/a-competence-that-has-no-defined-borders-cannot-be-called-a-true/)

[Li Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-lu/)

> [When I first came to Columbia University, I was dirt poor. I did not choose to come here - I just ended up here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-lu/when-i-first-came-to-columbia-university-i-was-dirt-poor-i-did-not/)

[Li Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-lu/)

> [You can't imagine a free market coupled with a dictatorship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-lu/you-can-t-imagine-a-free-market-coupled-with-a-dictatorship/)

[Li Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-lu/)

> [Tiananmen did not fail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-lu/tiananmen-did-not-fail/)

[Li Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-lu/)

> [Part of the game of investing is to come into your own. You must find some way that perfectly fits your personality because there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-lu/part-of-the-game-of-investing-is-to-come-into-your-own-you-must-find/)

[Li Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-lu/)

> [I was born and grew up in China during the 1960s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-lu/i-was-born-and-grew-up-in-china-during-the-1960s/)

[Li Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-lu/)

> [Investing is about predicting the future, and the future is inherently unpredictable. Therefore, the only way you can do better is to assess all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-lu/investing-is-about-predicting-the-future-and-the-future-is-inherently/)

[Li Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-lu/)

> [In my 40s, the two cultures finally came to peace with one other inside me, and I have come to identify myself as both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-lu/in-my-40s-the-two-cultures-finally-came-to-peace-with-one-other/)

[Li Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-lu/)

> [With free market and free man, if you remove one of them, it is not called capitalism in my dictionary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-lu/with-free-market-and-free-man-if-you-remove-one-of-them-it-is-not/)

[Li Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-lu/)

> [Politically, China suppresses its people, but because the government allows some freedom in economic matters, business has become the ultimate expression of individuality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-lu/politically-china-suppresses-its-people-but-because-the-government/)

[Li Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-lu/)

[Explore all 35 Li Lu quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-lu/)

## More About quotes

> [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/)

[Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/)

> [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/)

[Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/)

> [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/)

[Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/)

> [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/)

[Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/)

> [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

> [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/)

[Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/)

> [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/)

[Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/)

> [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/)

[Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/)

> [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/)

[Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/)

> [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/)

[Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/)

> [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/)

[Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/)

> [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/)

[Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/)

> [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/)

[John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/)

> [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/)

[Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/)

Browse all 26,122 About quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The whole thing is, really, money makes money. That's the whole thing about capitalism. Without the capital, there is no -ism.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Li Lu"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-lu/the-whole-thing-is-really-money-makes-money-that-s-the-whole-thing/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "About"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-lu/the-whole-thing-is-really-money-makes-money-that-s-the-whole-thing/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32e/li-lu-18293_about_the-whole-thing-is-really-money-makes-mo_2430908.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32e/li-lu-18293_about_the-whole-thing-is-really-money-makes-mo_2430908.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32e/li-lu-18293_about_the-whole-thing-is-really-money-makes-mo_2430908.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The whole thing is, really, money makes money. That's the whole thing about capitalism. Without the capital…” — Li Lu",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Li Lu",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-lu/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The whole thing is, really, money...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-lu/the-whole-thing-is-really-money-makes-money-that-s-the-whole-thing/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-lu/the-whole-thing-is-really-money-makes-money-that-s-the-whole-thing/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
