--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you pay 50 million for something, you…" description: "\"If you pay 50 million for something, you probably pay another 50 to 100 million to activate it. And the more you spend, the better you do. There is no ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/605/martin-sorrell-10724_activate_if-you-pay-50-million-for-something-you_382825.png" --- # If you pay 50 million for something, you probably pay… ![“If you pay 50 million for something, you probably pay another 50 to 100 million to activate it. And the more you spend, the better you do. There is no point in just buying rights.” quote by Martin Sorrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/605/martin-sorrell-10724_activate_if-you-pay-50-million-for-something-you_382825.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/605/martin-sorrell-10724_activate_if-you-pay-50-million-for-something-you_382825.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/605/martin-sorrell-10724_activate_if-you-pay-50-million-for-something-you_382825.png) > “If you pay 50 million for something, you probably pay another 50 to 100 million to activate it. And the more you spend, the better you do. There is no point in just buying rights.” [Martin Sorrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-sorrell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. High upfront costs often mask hidden expenses needed to make an asset functional and valuable. **In simple terms:** Buying something cheap may require costly activation. Key Takeaway Plan for total cost of ownership. Themes investment cost management value creation Mood cautious analytical Type strategic financial When to use this quote - technology adoption - real estate development - software licensing Key Concepts total cost analysis activation expenses strategic budgeting Questions to Reflect On - What hidden costs might you be overlooking? - How can you evaluate true ROI? A Different Perspective Focusing only on purchase price can lead to under‑investment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [50 Million](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/50-million-357571/) [Activate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/activate/) [Activate Spend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/activate-spend-3467811/) [Buying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buying/) [Buying Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buying-rights-3467809/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Million Activate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/million-activate-3467810/) [Millions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/millions/) [No point](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/no-point/) [Pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) ## Related quotes > [You have to see it on a broader level. But you also have to activate it properly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-sorrell/you-have-to-see-it-on-a-broader-level-but-you-also-have-to-activate/) [Martin Sorrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-sorrell/) > [If 50 million people say a stupid thing, it's still a stupid thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-severn/if-50-million-people-say-a-stupid-thing-it-s-still-a-stupid-thing/) [David Severn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-severn/) > [We've got nearly 50 million people in America with no health insurance. That's a weapon of mass destruction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-lowery/we-ve-got-nearly-50-million-people-in-america-with-no-health/) [Joseph Lowery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lowery/) > [An Osage tribal study found that between $41 million to $50 million left a 50-mile radius around their own casino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-warren-kindt/an-osage-tribal-study-found-that-between-41-million-to-50-million/) [John Warren Kindt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-warren-kindt/) > [Money doesn't make you happy. I now have $50 million but I was just as happy when I had $48 million.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-schwarzenegger/money-doesn-t-make-you-happy-i-now-have-50-million-but-i-was-just-as/) [Arnold Schwarzenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-schwarzenegger/) > [They say John Kerry is the first Democratic presidential candidate in history to raise $50 million in a three-month period. Actually, that's nothing. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/they-say-john-kerry-is-the-first-democratic-presidential-candidate-in/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [If I did want to come back, I was going to make, what, $50 million? You know what; don't call my phone unless you've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-mayweather-jr/if-i-did-want-to-come-back-i-was-going-to-make-what-50-million-you/) [Floyd Mayweather, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-mayweather-jr/) > [I don't care if I get $50 million to do a film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abel-ferrara/i-don-t-care-if-i-get-50-million-to-do-a-film/) [Abel Ferrara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abel-ferrara/) > [Today right here in America we have 50 million people without health insurance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corrine-brown/today-right-here-in-america-we-have-50-million-people-without-health/) [Corrine Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corrine-brown/) > [On '50/50,' even though it was 8 million dollars, it was all acting-intensive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-levine/on-50-50-even-though-it-was-8-million-dollars-it-was-all-acting/) [Jonathan Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-levine/) > [We like companies that can get big and powerful on $50 million or less and not two, three, four or five billion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-leone/we-like-companies-that-can-get-big-and-powerful-on-50-million-or-less/) [Douglas Leone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-leone/) > [If you've got a problem and you multiply it by 50-million people, it becomes unsolvable, but if you've got a problem and you divide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-pugh/if-you-ve-got-a-problem-and-you-multiply-it-by-50-million-people-it/) [Lewis Pugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-pugh/) > [Motherhood is 50 million heartbreaking moments, and 100 million joyous ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/motherhood-is-50-million-heartbreaking-moments-and-100-million-joyous/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [By 1917, thanks to the new munitions factories and the women that worked in them, the British Empire was supplying more than 50 million…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-david/by-1917-thanks-to-the-new-munitions-factories-and-the-women-that/) [Saul David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-david/) > [I've won over 50 million dollars playing poker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-bilzerian/i-ve-won-over-50-million-dollars-playing-poker/) [Dan Bilzerian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-bilzerian/) ## More by Martin Sorrell > [I'm in a business where there's complete anarchy. You can't control it - you can only react to it. The control that people traditionally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-sorrell/i-m-in-a-business-where-there-s-complete-anarchy-you-can-t-control-it/) [Martin Sorrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-sorrell/) > [It doesn't make much sense and it's nil premium. They're going to have co-CEOs...which is a very uncomfortable structure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-sorrell/it-doesn-t-make-much-sense-and-it-s-nil-premium-they-re-going-to-have/) [Martin Sorrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-sorrell/) > [ I remember that Jackie \[Stewart\] was the first driver wearing flameproof underwear! What it definitely was: it was much more flamboyant. But that doesn't… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-sorrell/i-remember-that-jackie-stewart-was-the-first-driver-wearing/) [Martin Sorrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-sorrell/) > [In the 19th century China dominated the manufacture of porcelain. Then European factories discovered a cheaper method of making pottery of equal quality, demolishing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-sorrell/in-the-19th-century-china-dominated-the-manufacture-of-porcelain-then/) [Martin Sorrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-sorrell/) > [F1 is a fight for people's time. There are millions of options today for how to spend it. That is probably the biggest difference…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-sorrell/f1-is-a-fight-for-people-s-time-there-are-millions-of-options-today/) [Martin Sorrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-sorrell/) > [You could think about Vietnam and at some point in time about Nigeria. And then you head to South America: Argentina, Columbia, Peru. Probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-sorrell/you-could-think-about-vietnam-and-at-some-point-in-time-about-nigeria/) [Martin Sorrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-sorrell/) > [If you run a country and want to put it on the global map you don't have so many choices. You can get the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-sorrell/if-you-run-a-country-and-want-to-put-it-on-the-global-map-you-don-t/) [Martin Sorrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-sorrell/) > [F1 is exciting, its values are attractive and it could be an even better family sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-sorrell/f1-is-exciting-its-values-are-attractive-and-it-could-be-an-even/) [Martin Sorrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-sorrell/) > [The world is changing. And a lot of people in Formula One are starting to understand this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-sorrell/the-world-is-changing-and-a-lot-of-people-in-formula-one-are-starting/) [Martin Sorrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-sorrell/) > [I interviewed Kim Kardashian recently and had a conversation with her mother. A lot of people have various thoughts about Kim Kardashian, her mother…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-sorrell/i-interviewed-kim-kardashian-recently-and-had-a-conversation-with-her/) [Martin Sorrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-sorrell/) > [That is again a romantic notion: the hero. I think people enjoy a much more levelled playing field where you have the ability for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-sorrell/that-is-again-a-romantic-notion-the-hero-i-think-people-enjoy-a-much/) [Martin Sorrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-sorrell/) > [Why not look at Indonesia? It will be the third biggest country in the world in population in 25 years' time - after India…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-sorrell/why-not-look-at-indonesia-it-will-be-the-third-biggest-country-in-the/) [Martin Sorrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-sorrell/) > [Think through whom you are trying to reach. Tailor what you do and how you do it to appeal to those communities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-sorrell/think-through-whom-you-are-trying-to-reach-tailor-what-you-do-and-how/) [Martin Sorrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-sorrell/) > [There is much romanticism about Formula One of the past. Today it has to be more of a family sport, not less. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-sorrell/there-is-much-romanticism-about-formula-one-of-the-past-today-it-has/) [Martin Sorrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-sorrell/) > [If I were to be super critical, I would say Formula One is too tactical and not strategic enough. And that brings us back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-sorrell/if-i-were-to-be-super-critical-i-would-say-formula-one-is-too/) [Martin Sorrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-sorrell/) [Explore all 64 Martin Sorrell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-sorrell/) ## More Activate quotes > [The verb that's been enforced on girls is to please. Girls are trained to please...I want us all to change the verb. I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-ensler/the-verb-that-s-been-enforced-on-girls-is-to-please-girls-are-trained/) [Eve Ensler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-ensler/) > [With liquid zeolite, we have returned to the basic healing approach for all chronic diseases, which is to free up and activate the vital…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-cousens/with-liquid-zeolite-we-have-returned-to-the-basic-healing-approach/) [Gabriel Cousens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-cousens/) > [Cliché activates the comfortable mental laziness, we sort of revert to the domain of the already-familiar, what we have already imagined so that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandar-hemon/clich-activates-the-comfortable-mental-laziness-we-sort-of-revert-to/) [Aleksandar Hemon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandar-hemon/) > [The products we design are going to be ridden in, sat upon, looked at, talked into, activated, operated, or in some way used by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-dreyfuss/the-products-we-design-are-going-to-be-ridden-in-sat-upon-looked-at/) [Henry Dreyfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-dreyfuss/) > [Brains distinguish between an Us and a Them in a fraction of a second. Subliminal processing of a Them activates the amygdala and insular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/brains-distinguish-between-an-us-and-a-them-in-a-fraction-of-a-second/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [The fact that the scrub literally comes out into your hand as a powder and then activates with water is a really cool thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shay-mitchell/the-fact-that-the-scrub-literally-comes-out-into-your-hand-as-a/) [Shay Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shay-mitchell/) > [The Charge will change your life. Our brains are hard wired to meet specific human drives, and learning to harness and activate those drives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-amen/the-charge-will-change-your-life-our-brains-are-hard-wired-to-meet/) [Daniel Amen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-amen/) > [Like electricity, the Light is everywhere, but one must know how to activate it. I have come for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-meera/like-electricity-the-light-is-everywhere-but-one-must-know-how-to/) [Mother Meera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-meera/) > [When you regularly take continuous action toward your most important goals, you activate the Momentum Principle of success. This principle says that although it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/when-you-regularly-take-continuous-action-toward-your-most-important/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [Chosen are those artists who penetrate to the region of that secret place where primeval power nurtures all evolution. There, where the powerhouse of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-klee/chosen-are-those-artists-who-penetrate-to-the-region-of-that-secret/) [Paul Klee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-klee/) > [Using the energy in a scene can really cut the fat off of something and streamline it. It can make it work for you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-gerwig/using-the-energy-in-a-scene-can-really-cut-the-fat-off-of-something/) [Greta Gerwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-gerwig/) > [The Universe is a unity, an interacting and genetically-related community of beings bound together in an inseparable relationship in space and time... The human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-berry/the-universe-is-a-unity-an-interacting-and-genetically-related/) [Thomas Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-berry/) > [You simply cannot understand psychedelic drugs, which activate the brain, unless you understand something about computers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-leary/you-simply-cannot-understand-psychedelic-drugs-which-activate-the/) [Timothy Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-leary/) > [Either you vegetate and look out a window, or activate and try to effect change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-reeve/either-you-vegetate-and-look-out-a-window-or-activate-and-try-to/) [Christopher Reeve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-reeve/) > [When you believe, it activates God's power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/when-you-believe-it-activates-god-s-power/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) [Browse all 92 Activate quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/activate/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you pay 50 million for something, you probably pay another 50 to 100 million to activate it. 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