“L.A. is very special to me, so far away from my world on the East Coas...” — Nicolas Berggruen Quote

L.A. is very special to me, so far away from my world on the East Coast, Europe, Asia. It's a bit of an island for me - less intense, less busy; because of time difference and location, it has a calming effect. At least it used to be all that.

I was living in Paris, which is a very beautiful, very wonderful place, but a tight place as a city, a tight place culturally. Its people are very brilliant, thoughtful, the place functions, but it's a historical place in some ways, like a big museum.

Other people might have family - three kids or five houses. In my case, that doesn't exist. I'm going to give everything away. Everything has been transferred to charitable trusts. There is no question about that. The question is where, not if.

Singapore has been incredibly well-managed. It was created out of the swamp, with a strong emotional idea: a safe place for mostly Chinese, but accepting other cultures and other races.

When we sell paper in Asia, we sell them things such as their corrugator rolls as well as paper.

My father suffered from chronic wanderlust. When I was 14, he set out on a yearlong road trip across Europe and Asia - and decided to take me along for company.

If you take the long view, Australia has never been able to sit on the fence when there was a threat in East Asia.

I want people all around the globe to know that there are girls in Asia, like me, who like hip-hop and dress uniquely.

Asia's governments come in two broad varieties: young, fragile democracies - and older, fragile authoritarian regimes.