the original line, from Warren Buffet (probably a misattribution), is:

"How do you become a millionaire? Make a billion dollars and then buy an airline"

I'm pretty sure that was Richard Branson.

Yes, it was specifically about Virgin Atlantic, which at one point stretched his finances to the point where he was forced to sell Virgin Records to free up the cash to keep it afloat.

Which is sad, because he won a lawsuit the next year for the exact amount he sold that company for.

I think to try to attribute this one at all would be risky. It's been applied to so many different industries (space, motor racing, wineries, farming, theater, video production business, trading, etc.), and said by countless famous people.

Does anyone know if OED does cliches?

I once heard “How does one leave Las Vegas with a small fortune? Go there with a large one.”

Argh! Beat me to it. I was gonna say "start with a $200M company and invest in Facebook IPO."

It's like the wine business: the key to making a small fortune is starting with a big one.