Wealth gained the wrong way is a floating cloud to me.

What it means

Money and status won by crooked means are not worth wanting; they drift past like clouds. The line is not against wealth, only against wealth that costs your integrity. Decide in advance which deals you will walk away from.

The source

"Wealth gained the wrong way is a floating cloud to me." Confucius said it in Analects 7.15. Translated from the original Chinese by Spartan Surfers.

"不義而富且貴，於我如浮雲。"

Original Chinese, Analects 7.15. Text read at zh.wikisource.org.

Who said it

Confucius (551-479 BC). Teacher from the state of Lu whose conversations, collected by his students as the Analects, shaped two thousand years of Chinese ethics. He taught that character is built through learning, ritual and honest self-examination.

Questions

What does "Wealth gained the wrong way is a floating cloud to me." mean?

Money and status won by crooked means are not worth wanting; they drift past like clouds. The line is not against wealth, only against wealth that costs your integrity. Decide in advance which deals you will walk away from.

Who said "Wealth gained the wrong way is a floating cloud to me."?

Confucius (551-479 BC). Source: Analects 7.15.

What is the original Chinese?

不義而富且貴，於我如浮雲。. Translated from the original Chinese by Spartan Surfers.

Is "Wealth gained the wrong way is a floating cloud to me." on a shirt?

Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

"Wealth gained the wrong way is a floating cloud to me." (Confucius, Analects 7.15, translated by Spartan Surfers). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/wealth-gained-the-wrong-way-is-a-floating