Who really said it
The Godfather (1972), Michael Corleone (Al Pacino). The familiar clipped version removes Michael’s address to Sonny.
Last verified 9 Nov 2026 · how we verify · spot an error?
For presentations
Disputed wording — copy with the correction
“It's not personal, it's strictly business” — Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola · Verbatim: “It's not personal, Sonny. It's strictly business.”
Can you use it?
Still under copyright (rights held by Rights holders in the 1972 motion picture and any underlying work). A short, credited quote is generally fine for talks, teaching, and internal decks; for commercial, published, or large-scale reuse, get permission.
Image direction — grounded in this quote’s real context; paste into your image tool
In context
Evoking the world of Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola — Screenwriting credit. Theme: "It's not personal, it's strictly business". 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.
Minimalist
Minimalist editorial slide for the quote "It's not personal, it's strictly business". Clean background, a single muted accent color, generous negative space, subtle paper or linen texture, no literal illustration — let the words carry it. Reserve clear space for a serif quote and a small credit line. No lettering in the image itself.
Provenance
It's strictly business.
A short excerpt from the linked source, not a replacement for the full quotation above.
Read the documented evidenceHow we verified this
This screen dialogue is from a 1972 film and remains copyrighted in the United States; quotation for identification does not grant broader reuse rights.
Rights status is our research, not legal advice — and copyright varies by country and edition. For commercial or published use, confirm with the rightsholder. See terms.
Fact-check
The underlying scene is genuine, but the displayed version compresses its wording.
The Godfather (1972), Michael Corleone (Al Pacino). The familiar clipped version removes Michael’s address to Sonny. Check the evidence
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More provenance-checked quotes on the same theme, each with its reuse status.
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Read the evidence used here; the scope of the claim is stated in the provenance trail.
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The author
For writers & researchers
The Godfather. 1972. Evidence and bibliographical details reproduced in the linked source; no independent access to an original edition is claimed unless stated.
Quotle.info. “Who really said ‘It's not personal, it's strictly business’?” Last verified 9 Nov 2026. https://quotle.info/who-said/its-not-personal-its-strictly-business/