"They realize that spending millions to save billions is just good business"
About this Quote
The subtext is transactional realism with a smirk: everyone already knows how the game works, so stop pretending it’s about ideology or public service. “Millions” isn’t just a number; it’s a euphemism for lobbying fees, access, soft coercion, and the quiet architecture of favors. “Save billions” gestures toward regulatory carve-outs, tax breaks, monopoly protection, and government contracts - the kinds of windfalls that make a small upfront “cost” feel, in his telling, as sensible as capital expenditure.
Context sharpens the cynicism. Abramoff isn’t an abstract critic; he’s a practitioner speaking from inside the machinery that converts money into policy. The quote functions as both confession and sales pitch: a reassurance to clients that bribery can be narrated as strategy, and a reminder to the rest of us that the most effective corruption rarely looks like a suitcase of cash. It looks like ROI.
Quote Details
| Topic | Business |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Abramoff, Jack. (2026, January 17). They realize that spending millions to save billions is just good business. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/they-realize-that-spending-millions-to-save-48731/
Chicago Style
Abramoff, Jack. "They realize that spending millions to save billions is just good business." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/they-realize-that-spending-millions-to-save-48731/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"They realize that spending millions to save billions is just good business." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/they-realize-that-spending-millions-to-save-48731/. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.






