--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't know what a monopoly is until…" description: "\"I don't know what a monopoly is until somebody tells me.\" — Steve Ballmer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eee/steve-ballmer-3273_monopoly_i-don-t-know-what-a-monopoly-is-until-so_1762242.png" --- # I don't know what a monopoly is until somebody tells me. ![“I don't know what a monopoly is until somebody tells me.” quote by Steve Ballmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eee/steve-ballmer-3273_monopoly_i-don-t-know-what-a-monopoly-is-until-so_1762242.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eee/steve-ballmer-3273_monopoly_i-don-t-know-what-a-monopoly-is-until-so_1762242.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eee/steve-ballmer-3273_monopoly_i-don-t-know-what-a-monopoly-is-until-so_1762242.png) > “I don't know what a monopoly is until somebody tells me.” [Steve Ballmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-ballmer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understanding a monopoly requires someone to explain its market dominance and lack of competition. **In simple terms:** Monopolies are markets with one dominant firm. Key Takeaway Seek clear explanations when concepts are unfamiliar. Themes business economics learning Mood curious analytical Type educational informative When to use this quote - Studying economics - reading business news - discussing with peers Key Concepts Market power competition regulation Questions to Reflect On - How does a monopoly affect consumers? - What signs indicate a monopoly? 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If you look at the transition to Office 365 we started when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-ballmer/in-many-ways-i-think-the-company-s-doing-quite-a-good-job-if-you-look/) [Steve Ballmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-ballmer/) > [The lifeblood of our business is that R&D spend. There's nothing that flows through a pipe or down a wire or anything else. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-ballmer/the-lifeblood-of-our-business-is-that-r-d-spend-there-s-nothing-that/) [Steve Ballmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-ballmer/) > [Certainly, we continue to bring in new people. We'll hire, net new, over 4,000 people this year, and attract great people into the company.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-ballmer/certainly-we-continue-to-bring-in-new-people-we-ll-hire-net-new-over/) [Steve Ballmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-ballmer/) [Explore all 134 Steve Ballmer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-ballmer/) ## More Monopoly quotes > [A man has a right to use a saw, an axe, a plane, separately; may he not combine their uses on the same piece…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/a-man-has-a-right-to-use-a-saw-an-axe-a-plane-separately-may-he-not/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [If a Coach is determined to stay in the coaching profession, he will develop from year to year. This much is true, no coach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolph-rupp/if-a-coach-is-determined-to-stay-in-the-coaching-profession-he-will/) [Adolph Rupp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolph-rupp/) > [The "health, education, and welfare" section of government is another boondoggle. First we manufacture indigent and superfluous people by legal monopolies in land, money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurance-labadie/the-health-education-and-welfare-section-of-government-is-another/) [Laurance Labadie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurance-labadie/) > [Seeds have the power to preserve species, to enhance cultural as well as genetic diversity, to counter economic monopoly and to check the advance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/seeds-have-the-power-to-preserve-species-to-enhance-cultural-as-well/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [Greece is a sort of American vassal; the Netherlands is the country of American bases that grow like tulip bulbs; Cuba is the main…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/greece-is-a-sort-of-american-vassal-the-netherlands-is-the-country-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Anarchism is a definite intellectual current in the life of our times, whose adherents advocate the abolition of economic monopolies and of all political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-rocker/anarchism-is-a-definite-intellectual-current-in-the-life-of-our-times/) [Rudolf Rocker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-rocker/) > [the twelve or fifteen millions in the British Empire, who, while they possess no electoral rights, are yet persuaded they are freemen, and who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-cobden/the-twelve-or-fifteen-millions-in-the-british-empire-who-while-they/) [Richard Cobden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-cobden/) > [Every coercive monopoly was created by government intervention into the economy: by special privileges, such as franchises or subsidies, which closed the entry of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/every-coercive-monopoly-was-created-by-government-intervention-into/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [The monopoly of a single bank is certainly an evil. The multiplication of them was intended to cure it; but it multiplied an influence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-monopoly-of-a-single-bank-is-certainly-an-evil-the-multiplication/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Slavery, protection, and monopoly find defenders, not only in those who profit by them, but in those who suffer by them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-bastiat/slavery-protection-and-monopoly-find-defenders-not-only-in-those-who/) [Frederic Bastiat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-bastiat/) > [That this is not a sense of innovation and competition increasing prices because some other company is coming in and competing with Martin Shkreli.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-ann-reid/that-this-is-not-a-sense-of-innovation-and-competition-increasing/) [Joy-Ann Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-ann-reid/) > [God is concerned with nations, but nations also need to be concerned with God. No nation can have a monopoly on God, but God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/god-is-concerned-with-nations-but-nations-also-need-to-be-concerned/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [“Have you ever played Monopoly? It's a board game designed to teach kids capitalism. And what happens in the end? The winner has all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-markus-malloy/have-you-ever-played-monopoly-it-s-a-board-game-designed-to-teach/) [Oliver Markus Malloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-markus-malloy/) > [Capitalist exploitation and cartels and monopolies are the enemies of underdeveloped countries. On the other hand a regime which is completely oriented towards the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frantz-fanon/capitalist-exploitation-and-cartels-and-monopolies-are-the-enemies-of/) [Frantz Fanon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frantz-fanon/) > [A government is an institution that holds a monopoly on the legitimate use of violence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-weber/a-government-is-an-institution-that-holds-a-monopoly-on-the/) [Max Weber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-weber/) [Browse all 592 Monopoly quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monopoly/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't know what a monopoly is until somebody tells me.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Steve Ballmer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-ballmer/i-don-t-know-what-a-monopoly-is-until-somebody-tells-me/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Monopoly" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-ballmer/i-don-t-know-what-a-monopoly-is-until-somebody-tells-me/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eee/steve-ballmer-3273_monopoly_i-don-t-know-what-a-monopoly-is-until-so_1762242.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eee/steve-ballmer-3273_monopoly_i-don-t-know-what-a-monopoly-is-until-so_1762242.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eee/steve-ballmer-3273_monopoly_i-don-t-know-what-a-monopoly-is-until-so_1762242.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I don't know what a monopoly is until somebody tells me.” — Steve Ballmer", "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": "Steve Ballmer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-ballmer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I don't know what a monopoly...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-ballmer/i-don-t-know-what-a-monopoly-is-until-somebody-tells-me/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-ballmer/i-don-t-know-what-a-monopoly-is-until-somebody-tells-me/#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 } } ] } ```