I don’t pay good wages because I have a lot of money; I have a lot of money because I pay good wages.

The saying reverses a common justification for low pay: that only already-wealthy firms can afford “good wages.” Attributed to industrialist Robert Bosch, it frames fair compensation as a cause of business success rather than a charitable byproduct of it. The implied mechanism is practical: better wages can attract and retain skilled workers, reduce turnover and training costs, raise morale and productivity, and improve quality—advantages that can compound into higher profits and long-term stability. As a piece of managerial rhetoric, it also functions as a moral claim: prosperity is presented as compatible with, and even dependent on, treating employees well.