Quote Investigator finds a related passage in Austin Robinson’s Monopoly (1941), where Robinson signals an existing saying. A Keynes attribution appears in 1951, after Keynes’s death; neither man is securely established as the coiner.
“Capitalism: The Nastiest of Men for the Nastiest of Motives Will Somehow Work for the Benefit of All” — Anonymous
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Evoking the themes of power and character. Theme: "Capitalism: The Nastiest of Men for the Nastiest of Motives Will Somehow Work for the Benefit of All". Atmospheric and restrained, cinematic directional light, a muted period-appropriate palette, fine grain and texture. Compose with generous empty space for the quote and a small credit line. No lettering in the image itself.
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Provenance
The source
Documented source
Monopoly; later Keynes attributions
Date
1941
the nastiest motives
A short excerpt from the linked source, not a replacement for the full quotation above.
Quote Investigator finds a related passage in Austin Robinson’s Monopoly (1941), where Robinson signals an existing saying. A Keynes attribution appears in 1951, after Keynes’s death; neither man is securely established as the coiner. Read the source
The precise modern wording has no securely identified origin. No public-domain or individual-ownership claim is made.
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Fact-check
Often misattributed
The familiar sentence is not verified as a Keynes quotation or as Robinson’s exact wording.
~
What the evidence establishesAnonymous Context
Quote Investigator finds a related passage in Austin Robinson’s Monopoly (1941), where Robinson signals an existing saying. A Keynes attribution appears in 1951, after Keynes’s death; neither man is securely established as the coiner. Check the evidence
✓The familiar sentence is not verified as a Keynes quotation or as Robinson’s exact wording. Read the research
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The author
About Anonymous
A
Anonymous
The name in the evidence
Robinson is an early documented transmitter of a related formulation. His wording does not claim authorship, so anonymous is the cautious credit.
For writers & researchers
Cite this
The primary source (Chicago)
Monopoly; later Keynes attributions. 1941. Evidence and bibliographical details reproduced in the linked source; no independent access to an original edition is claimed unless stated.
This verification page
Quotle.info. “Who really said ‘Capitalism: The Nastiest of Men for the Nastiest of Motives Will Somehow Work for the Benefit of All’?” Last verified 9 Nov 2026. https://quotle.info/who-said/capitalism-the-nastiest-of-men-for-the-nastiest-of-motives/