Success Quote by Lee R. Raymond

“Merit” is doing a lot of public-relations labor here. Lee R. Raymond, the longtime Exxon chief, frames capitalism less as a set of rules and power dynamics than as a moral ecosystem: work hard, stay committed, get rewarded. It’s an argument that flatters the system by flattering the individual inside it. If success is primarily the product of effort, then the winners are not just rich; they’re deserving. The losers aren’t just unlucky; they’re insufficiently committed.

The specific intent is defensive and preemptive. Spoken by a corporate titan in an era of widening inequality and rising skepticism about big business, the line turns critique away from institutions and toward personal character. “Market system” and “merit system” become twin pillars: one describes how society is organized, the other suggests that organization is fair. The rhetorical trick is the word “requires,” which makes hard work sound like a neutral technical necessity rather than a value choice embedded in policy, labor markets, and corporate governance.

Subtextually, it’s also a management philosophy marketed as civic virtue. Asking people to “work hard” reads differently when you’re running a company whose profitability depends on labor discipline, weakened unions, and a political climate friendly to capital. “Greatest opportunity” is the softest phrase in the quote, because it promises access without guaranteeing outcomes. It offers the comfort of an open door while leaving unmentioned who built the hallway, who holds the keys, and who gets pushed to the back of the line.