BRANDS

The Four Seasons is not a hotel chain. It is a standard of living. I bought it because I wanted to own the definition of luxury itself.

The best brands in the world are deferred gratification machines. They invest today in markets that won't pay off for a decade. Most investors can't stomach that. I love it.

When you buy a European brand, you buy 100 years of engineering. When you build a Chinese brand, you have 10 years of learning ahead. I chose to buy.

I give my acquired brands autonomy. I didn’t buy Volvo to make it Chinese. I bought it to make Geely Swedish in quality.

A brand without distribution is just a logo. Distribution without brands is just a shelf.

I have always believed in the power of great content. And I believe that the brands we have at Paramount — CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon, BET, Showtime — are among the most powerful in the world.

Building products has become easier and cheaper, but building brands is harder than ever.