I never was ruined but twice, once when I gained a lawsuit, and once when I lost it.

The line is a legal-system quip: litigation is so costly that a person can be financially devastated whether they win or lose. The earliest located strong match appears in an 1826 London newspaper item presented as something Voltaire said, but it was published decades after Voltaire’s death and no primary Voltaire source has been found.

It jokes that the process and expenses of suing (fees, time, stress, and costs) can be ruinous regardless of the verdict, so “winning” may still feel like losing.

“I never,” said Voltaire, “was ruined but twice; once, when I gained a law suit; and once, when I lost it.”

I have been ruined only twice: once when I lost a lawsuit, and once when I won one.

I never was but twice in my life completely on the verge of ruin — first, when I lost a law suit; and, secondly, when I gained one.