I don't want to die the richest man in the graveyard – I want to die the happiest."
Sir Tom Cowie may be just three months away from his 86th birthday, but he shows no signs of slowing down.
Work these days may be an office overlooking the courtyard of his country home outside Lanchester, but the man who started work at just 16 is still clocking up five days a week behind his desk.
"I don't want to die of boredom – I have got to be doing something," he says.
And he still retains a keen interest in the changing face of his home city.
Sir Tom has made no secret of his support for the Conservative party.
But he is also a firm believer in giving credit where credit is due and is full of admiration for the way the city has picked itself up over the last decade – Labour council or not.
"You can't fault the council – they have had a lot more trouble than most people," he says.
"Six hundred years of shipbuilding gone for a burton. We used to ship out millions of tonnes of coal a year and that is gone.
"Sunderland has done pretty well."
That success, in the face of some pretty tough obstacles, is down to one thing, reckons Sir Tom – the quality of the North East workforce.
"We have to accept the fact that we are geographically disadvantaged compared to Newcastle," he says.
"We are off the main railway line and motorway network. We have a serious disadvantage, just because of our location and whatever we attempt to do, we have a much tougher task.
"That is the case even with things like nightlife – everybody from round here, if they are going for a night out, it's the Quayside in Newcastle."
Sunderland is beginning to turn that perception around, however, and the development of the Sunniside area, with its quality restaurants, has played a major part.
"Sunniside is a nice part of the city now and the good news is that the investment there is doing well."
Sunderland's ability to retain big names such as Nissan and Arriva –the multi-national transport giant Sir Tom started – are a tribute to the Wearside work ethic: "Nissan is a superb example of the manufacturing tradition. They have a totally reliable workforce.
"And I am absolutely and totally delighted that Arriva has kept its head office in Sunderland.
"There can't be that many public companies of that size in Sunderland.
"Sunderland people, if they have got a decent job, will work their socks off for you.
"You are not going to get walk-outs, strikes, things of that ilk. It just does not happen because they are so pleased to get a good job, they are very hard-working.
"That's the reason why a company like Arriva has kept its headquarters in Sunderland."
There is just one fly in Sunderland's commercial ointment for Sir Tom – the city port.
His company North European Marine Services has a site at the port and Sir Tom has seen for himself the struggle to attract business.
"Unfortunately, the port does not seem to attract clients in the way that Seaham Harbour does. There is a little port there that is really coming along.
"Newcastle is doing well too but Sunderland seems to struggle.
"So we need to ask the question, if Seaham can succeed and if Newcastle can succeed, why can't Sunderland?
"Seaham is a much smaller port but it is highly successful, so there is a magic formula somewhere – it's not impossible to do but we seem to struggle in Sunderland."
Asked what he sees as the future for the city, Sir Tom is less keen to offer any predictions, given the current uncertainty in world markets.
"It is very difficult to say where we will be in 10 years' time," he says.
"We are in the middle of a world recession and everybody is doing badly. It is a very, very difficult situation."
One thing that is clear is that Sir Tom is willing to give David Cameron another chance.
Sir Tom hit the headlines when he accused the Tory leader of an "arrogant, Old Etonian" style of leadership in a row over the party's withdrawal of support for the grammar school system.
Sir Tom, who has donated more than £600,00 to the party, said he would be making no further contributions.
But the party's upturn under Cameron has impressed him and he says his comments at the time were taken out of context.
"I have spoken to David Cameron and he is a hell of a nice guy," says Sir Tom. "I have just sent him a pretty massive donation.
"The 'Etonian' quote was taken out of context – I did criticise one or two of his points.
"I said: 'It's all right for you lot that went to Eton – a lot of hard-working guys came up through grammar schools.'
"I got the opportunity to go to Bede Grammar School and it was absolutely fantastic.
"Grammar school was the making of me – it transformed my life."
Sir Tom has been impressed by David Cameron's performance recently and believes the Tory leader has the right stuff to become Prime Minister.
"He has got a wonderful personality and I think if he gets the chance, which hopefully he does, he will do a great job with the country," he said. "I have made a very substantial donation – you have got to put your money where your mouth is."