"If you need a friend, get a dog."
A dog is faithful and unconditionally devoted, the perfect friend. With this line, Gekko reminds Bud that their relationship has none of those qualities and is not actually a friendship, but a symbiotic business relationship. With this line, Gekko broadcasts to Bud that he can trust no one, and must instead rely on himself and his wits in order to get ahead.
"The point is, ladies and gentlemen, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good."
This is probably the most famous quote from this film, and sums up the mentality of Gordon Gekko. He says this while speaking to the shareholders of Teldar Paper, after one of them has accused him of dealing completely immorally with company. In his own defense, Gekko says this. The greed he is describing is the desire of very wealthy people to accumulate even more wealth in the pursuit of a deal. His argument is that making deals and being greedy in fact encourages competition and thus stimulates progress; thus, it is beneficial to humanity rather than detrimental. This line outlines Gekko's complete lack of ethics and his single-mindedness as a businessman.
"I don't throw darts at a board. I bet on sure things. Read Sun-tzu, The Art Of War. Every battle is won before it is ever fought."
Gekko says this to Bud in one of their early meetings, as he is taking Bud on as a kind of protege. He sees making deals as part of an ongoing war, and advises Bud that one should only make deals when it's a sure success. Gekko prizes aggression and winning no matter the cost.
"The most valuable commodity I know of is information."
Gekko thrives on information; information about his rivals enables him to outplay them, and can yield knowledge about their transgressions that he can use as leverage. Information about companies can provide new opportunities to take over or destroy a business. A person who can bring him information is always going to be valuable, and Gekko lets Bud know that he will always have value whilst he is bringing in information. This line shows that Gekko is not above seeking out insider information in order to strengthen his business.
"Money's only something you need in case you don't die tomorrow..."
Carl says this to Bud in his first scene in the movie when Bud asks him for money. While Bud feels badly about it, because he prizes money above everything else, Carl insists that it is not a big deal for him. For Carl, money is a means to an end, but it is not the center of the universe, and this line typifies his more carefree, obligational relationship to money, in contrast to his son.
"There's no nobility in poverty."
When Bud asks his father for money, Carl asks why he doesn't come and live at home to save money, wondering why his salary doesn't cover his living expenses in Manhattan. Bud explains to his father that in order to live large as a stockbroker, he also has to live a fancy lifestyle, and living at home would not help his career. As he says here, "there is no nobility in poverty." With this, he distances himself from his father, who he thinks doesn't value money enough.
"When I get a hold of the son of a bitch who leaked this, I'm gonna tear his eyeballs out and I'm gonna suck his fucking skull."
This line accounts for an instance of dramatic irony, in that we know that Bud is the one who is sabotaging Gekko's deal with Bluestar. Here, Gekko is livid about the fact that the account isn't doing well and rails against whoever is behind it, without knowing that it's Bud. This line foreshadows just how angry Gekko will be when he does learn it was Bud who ruined his business plan.
"I don't go to bed with no whore, and I don't wake up with no whore. That's how I live with myself. I don't know how you do it."
After Carl meets with Bud and Gekko about Gekko buying Bluestar, Carl doesn't think it's a good idea and leaves the meeting, turning down the offer and consequently embarrassing Bud. When Bud confronts his father about blowing the deal, Carl uses this metaphor of a whore to illustrate that he doesn't like to engage in shady business dealings. Carl tells his son, using this symbolism, that he is an honest man, who knows the price of thing and tries to make ethical choices.
"That's the one thing you have to remember about WASPs: they love animals and hate people."
Gekko says this to Bud in the steam room when talking about a board he's on. He just revealed that he is not actually a member of the WASPy elite in the business world, but a self-made man who fought for everything he has. He suggests that WASPs on the board he belongs to are more interested in animal rights than taking care of human beings. This is one of the few moments when Gekko comments on other people's ethics; usually he is far more cold-blooded, but here, he reveals something about his inner life to Bud, counting him as a trustworthy protege.
"Man looks in the abyss, there's nothing staring back at him. At that moment, man finds his character. And that is what keeps him out of the abyss."
Lou is Bud's boss at his firm, and he says this to Bud right before Bud is arrested for insider trading. With this metaphor of the abyss, Lou suggests that Bud is about to go through hell, and that how he responds to this hardship will determine his character.
