Who said “Honesty is the best policy -- when there is money in it.”?

Verified

Mark Twain. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceSpeech to Eastman College (1901)

Evidence: Wikiquote · How we check

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Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Speech to Eastman College (1901).

APA

Twain, M. (n.d.). Honesty is the best policy -- when there is money in it. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/15246-honesty-is-the-best-policy-when-there-is/

MLA

Twain, Mark. “Honesty is the best policy -- when there is money in it.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/15246-honesty-is-the-best-policy-when-there-is/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Twain, Mark. “Honesty is the best policy -- when there is money in it.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/15246-honesty-is-the-best-policy-when-there-is/.