He who dares, wins

Meaning: Bold action and courage are rewarded; timidity leads to missed opportunities.

Who said it? David Stirling, motto of Britain's Special Air Service, 1941

Origin: "Who Dares Wins" is the motto of Britain's Special Air Service, the special forces regiment founded by David Stirling in North Africa, who chose the motto in 1941. The thought is old — Virgil wrote that fortune favors the bold — but the regiment's wording made it famous.

Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian, and 5 more languages

French: Qui ne risque rien n'a rien (literally: Who risks nothing has nothing)
Spanish: Quien no arriesga, no gana (literally: Who doesn't risk, doesn't win)
Japanese: 虎穴に入らずんば虎子を得ず (Koketsu ni irazunba koji wo ezu) (literally: Without entering the tiger's den, you cannot get the tiger's cub)
German: Wer wagt, gewinnt (literally: He who dares, wins)
Italian: Chi non risica non rosica (literally: Whoever doesn't risk doesn't nibble)
Portuguese: Quem não arrisca não petisca (literally: Whoever doesn't risk doesn't snack)
Dutch: Wie niet waagt, wie niet wint (literally: Who doesn't dare doesn't win)
Chinese: 不入虎穴，焉得虎子 (Bú rù hǔxué, yān dé hǔzǐ) (literally: If you don't enter the tiger's den, how can you get its cub?)
Korean: 호랑이 굴에 가야 호랑이 새끼를 잡는다 (Horangi gure gaya horangi saekkireul jamneunda) (literally: You must go into the tiger's den to catch the tiger cub)
Turkish: Korkak bezirgân ne kâr eder ne zarar (literally: A timid merchant makes neither profit nor loss)