1930
Warren Edward Buffett was born on August 30, 1930, less than a year after the 1929 stock market crash.
“less than a year after black tuesday on august 30th 1930 warren edward buffett is born”
Topic
Warren Buffett
45 facts from 12 episodes, in date order. These are what speakers said on the shows, each linked to the moment it was said. They aren't independently verified.
1940
At age 10, Warren Buffett met Sidney Weinberg, then head of Goldman Sachs, on a trip to New York with his father.
“warren actually gets to meet the legendary sydney weinberg who was the head of goldman sachs at the time”
1940s
As a boy, Warren Buffett pooled money with his sister Doris to buy six preferred shares of Cities Service at $38 a share, and the price quickly fell to $27.
“they buy six shares for 38 bucks a share and immediately the stock goes down to 27 bucks a share”
1940s
Howard Buffett, Warren's father, ran for Congress and won, in the period when the United States entered World War II, which he strongly opposed.
“he runs for congress inspired by the u.s entry into world war ii which he thinks is the worst thing that has ever happened”
1940s
At 15, Warren Buffett bought a tenant farm in Nebraska for $1,200, splitting the crop profits with the tenant.
“he buys a tenant farm in nebraska back home no way twelve hundred dollars”
1950
When he studied at Columbia Business School, Warren Buffett rented a YMCA room for a dollar a day rather than use the dormitories.
“he rents a room at the ymca for a dollar a day”
1950s
Partners in Buffett's partnerships could add or withdraw money only on December 31 each year.
“he is open for business one day of the year to his clients and that day is december 31st”
1951
Warren Buffett was, per the hosts, the first and only student to receive an A-plus in Benjamin Graham's Columbia class.
“warren becomes the first and only student to ever receive an a plus in the class from graham”
1951
Warren Buffett first visited Geico in January 1951 and then spent the rest of that year visiting leading insurance analysts.
“When I first visited Geico in January 1951, I left, and then the rest of the year I went down and would visit leading insurance analysts.”
1955
Brad Gerstner said Warren Buffett started his hedge fund around 1955 and invested in both public and private companies.
“Warren Buffett, right, I don't know what year it was, 1955, when he started his hedge fund, he did both publics and privates, right?”
1956
Buffett's early partnerships charged no management fee, and he kept half of returns above a 4 percent annual hurdle.
“four percent annual return hurdle and any returns that he generates above four percent he is the general partner in these partnerships keeps half of the upside”
1959
Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger met at a dinner in Omaha in the summer of 1959, when Munger was in town to settle his father's estate.
“the famous summer night in 1959 in Omaha, Charlie is back in town briefly to settle his father's estate.”
1959
The host calculates Buffett's blended return across the partnership years and Berkshire at 22.3% annually over 63 years.
“Berkshire over that time period has had a 20% IRR. You get a blended IRR of 22.3% across 63 years of active money management for Warren.”
1960s
When Buffett bought into Berkshire, its book value was about $20 a share while the stock traded at about $7.50.
“the book value of all the property plant and equipment and cash on hand at this company is 20 a share and the stock is trading at 750”
1961
By 1961, Buffett's partnerships managed over $7 million, more than Graham-Newman ever had.
“the partnerships are managing over seven million dollars in total which is larger than graham newman ever was”
1964
American Express settled the salad oil case for $60 million, and Buffett's partnership made about 2.5 times its $13 million investment before selling.
“amex ends up settling the case the next year for 60 million dollars the stock goes through the roof and they make two and a half times their money on the 13 million dollars invested”
1965
Warren Buffett won a seat on Berkshire's board in April 1965 and the next month removed Seabury Stanton and became chairman.
“by april 1965 warren gets enough shares to get himself elected to the board the next month he stages a boardroom coup essentially”
1966
During his partnership years, Buffett invested $4 million of partnership capital in The Walt Disney Company for about 5% of the company, then sold within about a year.
“He puts $4 million of partnership capital into Disney, buys 5% of the company.”
1966
Warren Buffett bought Disney stock in 1966 after meeting Walt Disney and sold it early.
“the reason I bring this up is cause Buffett bought Disney stock after meeting Walt Disney in 1966”
1968
Grinnell College's endowment, which Buffett's investment committee oversaw, put $100,000 into Intel's early funding, while Buffett did not invest for his partnership or himself.
“grinnell does invest a hundred thousand dollars in the intel seed round effectively but warren never goes near it for the partnership for himself”
1969
On Memorial Day 1969, Buffett wrote to his partners announcing he would wind up the partnership at the end of the year.
“so on memorial day 1969 he writes a letter to the partners and he says”
1970
When the partnership was wound up in 1970, Buffett received about $16 million in cash, 18 percent of Berkshire Hathaway and 20 percent of Diversified Retailing Company.
“he owns 26 of the partnership he gets 16 million in cash 18 of berkshire 20 of diversified retail company”
1970s
Buffett gave Katharine Graham a legally binding contract promising that Berkshire would not buy more Washington Post shares without the Graham family's permission.
“afterward, Buffett presents her with a contract that he's had drawn up that legally binds him in Berkshire that they will never buy another share of the Post without the Graham family's permission.”
1970
Berkshire Hathaway stock was $45 a share on January 1, 1970, when Buffett distributed it to partners, and $11,750 per A share at the end of 1992.
“if you had bought Berkshire in 1970 on January 1st, which is the day that Buffett distributed it out to everyone when he closed down the partnership, it was $45 a share.”
1986
Warren Buffett wrote a letter to Ralph Schey offering $60 a share for Scott Fetzer, and Berkshire bought the company at that price in 1986.
“I said we'll pay $60 a share if you like this idea I'll meet you in Chicago on Sunday and if you don't like the idea tear up this letter”
1988-1994
Berkshire Hathaway built a stake of roughly $1.3 billion in Coca-Cola over the next few years, from 1988 to 1994, and the hosts say it owns about 9.5% of the company today.
“a roughly $1.3 billion equity stake in the company over the next few years”
1995
Buffett said Geico spent about $800 million a year on advertising, up from a little over $20 million when Berkshire took control in 1995.
“We'll spend about $800 million a year on advertising. We were spending a little over 20 million a year when we bought control in 1995.”
1998
By 1998 Coca-Cola was selling about one billion servings a day, which Buffett cited as the key fact for a long-term Coca-Cola investor.
“all that mattered was by 1998, they were selling one billion servings a day”
2000
At the 2000 meeting, Buffett said print encyclopedias had been the best educational tool fifteen years earlier, and Berkshire owned World Book.
“Fifteen years ago, print encyclopedias were the best tool for educating not only young children, but for educating me or Charlie.”
2006
Duan Yongping reportedly paid over $600,000 for the 2006 charity lunch with Warren Buffett, to which he brought Colin Huang.
“I think Dwan paid over $600,000 for the lunch.”
2006
In 2006 Warren Buffett pledged to give away 85% of his Berkshire stock, then worth $37 billion, mostly to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
“he announces that he is going to give away 85% of his Berkshire stock, which was worth $37 billion at the time.”
2008
Warren Buffett publicly offered a $1 million bet that the Vanguard 500 Index Fund would beat any portfolio of hedge funds over the ten years starting January 1, 2008.
“he would bet $1 million of his own money against any and all takers from the hedge fund industry”
2008-2017
Over the ten-year Buffett bet, the Vanguard 500 returned 126% net of fees versus 36% for the hedge fund portfolio chosen by Ted Seides.
“So when all is said and done, the Vanguard 500 returns a total of 126 percent net after fees for the 10-year period, while the hedge fund portfolio returns just 36 percent.”
2010
In 2010 an anonymous bidder paid a record $2.6 million for a charity lunch with Warren Buffett and paid the same again in 2011; the bidder was later revealed to be Ted Weschler.
“an anonymous bidder pays a record $2.6 million for lunch with Warren.”
2011
Warren Buffett invested $10.7 billion in IBM in 2011 and sold in 2018 at a loss of about $2 billion, according to the hosts.
“He puts $10.7 billion into IBM in 2011.”
2011
A Wall Street Journal article said Mark Zuckerberg would swap his Adidas slides for Brooks Adrenaline shoes before taking Facebook public, and Warren Buffett circled the line.
“he was going to trade in his Adidas slides for a pair of Brooks Adrenaline.”
2012
Jim Weber said Warren Buffett phoned to propose spinning Brooks out of Fruit of the Loom as a standalone Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary.
“I'm thinking about spinning you out and setting you up as a standalone subsidiary.”
Undated
Warren Buffett is quoted as saying that Howard Marks's memos are the first thing he opens and reads when they arrive in the mail.
“Even Warren Buffett is quoted in saying, When I see memos from Howard Marks in my mail, they're the first thing I open and read.”
Undated
Charlie Munger said Warren Buffett never gambled heavily as a racetrack patron because he wanted the odds in his favor.
“Warren wanted the odds in his favor, not somebody else.”
Undated
Costco CEO Jim Sinegal asked Warren Buffett to join Costco's board, and Buffett suggested Charlie Munger instead.
“Well, Senegal asked Warren to become a director of Costco. He was looking for somebody with a financial reputation.”
Undated
Warren Buffett said Geico was paying about $10 per click for Google ads that cost Google essentially nothing to deliver.
“we were paying $10 a click for something that had a marginal cost to Google of exactly zero”
Undated
Buffett offered $12.50 a share for Clayton Homes and held to that price through repeated counteroffers, and the company was bought at that price.
“Buffett told Clayton, the CEO of Clayton Homes, he wanted to buy the company and would pay $12.50 a share.”
Undated
Warren Buffett said that after reading PetroChina's annual report he concluded it was worth $100 billion while it sold for $35 billion.
“I came to the conclusion that it was worth $100 billion and it was selling for $35 billion.”
Undated
Grinnell College's endowment, whose investments Buffett directed as a trustee, bought a stake in the private placement that was Intel's initial funding and later sold it.
“Grinnell actually buys ten of the private placement that was the initial funding of Intel”
Undated
The host recounts that Charlie Munger told him Warren Buffett and Munger bought a pipeline from Enron after a Friday call, and that Buffett wired the money without an email.
“So he said that him and Warren bought like this pipeline or something from Enron, and they got a call on Friday.”
Episodes
- 18 May 2026Vanguard3h 47m
- 24 Nov 2025Coca-Cola4h 2m
- 30 Oct 2023Charlie Munger1h 7m
- 30 Aug 2022Howard Marks & Andrew Marks: Something of Value1h 30m
- 16 May 2022Arena Show Part II: Brooks Running (with CEO Jim Weber)1h 12m
- 15 Mar 2022Altimeter (with Brad Gerstner)1h 53m
- 7 Jun 2021Berkshire Hathaway Part III2h 58m
- 12 May 2021Berkshire Hathaway Part II3h 2m
- 21 Apr 2021Berkshire Hathaway Part I3h 11m
- 16 Jul 2020Pinduoduo1h 55m
- 19 Jul 2026#425 The Merchant Bankers46m
- 25 Feb 2025#380 Four Hundred Pages of Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger In Their Own Words1h 21m