John Hjorth

I'll refrain from commenting on your precision related to stating 5.2 % originally above, obviously then originally by memory. You obviously have a very good memory, - that combined with being observant is very powerful.

Thanks Bill [ @wabuffo ], Perhaps US Internal Revenue Service should consider to look up an internal expense account to do the same [I mean to consider Mr. Buffet for a Christmas card, too]. According some very rough back-of-the-envelope calculations of mine I came up with today, that the tax on the realized gain on the sale of AAPL shares is in the area of USD 13 billion. To give this amount of funds a tangible perspective, I've read somewhere not so long ago that this amount of USD roughly equals the cost of construction of the gallee USS Gerald R. Ford.

Or preparing for an extraordinary [perhaps one-time] dividend [, all which I consider among my worst mightmares ...]

EOP 2024H1 : Cash USD 36.884 B Short term US T-Bills USD 234.618 B Total USD 271.502 B - - - o 0 o - - - [Excluding cash in Railraoad, Utilities and Energy USD 5.440] - - - o 0 o - - - That's a lot! - - - o 0 o - - - Edit : A boatload AAPL shares have been disposed during 2024Q2. [Market value AAPL postion : At YE2023 USD 174.3 B, at EOP 2024H1 USD 84.2 B, see p. 9.]

A contribution to the discussion : Bloomberg - Opinion - Matt Levine, columnist [July 26th 2024] : Andrew Left Wasn’t Short for Long. To me, it's quite complicated, because the issue at hand has so many dimensions. Basically it roots down to the concept and societal definition of making a decent living, and the contrary of that, fraudulent business activities [being a con person], and how these concepts are reflected in aplicable law [ as 'jus']. Over time the general societal norms for acceptable behavior is expressed in appliable law , with applicable law by time lagging societal norms for accepteable behavior, and political based legislation and case law creating new or changed prejudice as some kind of framework filler or specific intepretor or testarangement. - - - o 0 o - - - So the question at hand - to us, individually and personally - is if Andrew Lefts activities at Citron Research are acceptable, acknowledgeable or even noble and useful with a real purpose considering the facts presented under the case tested by SEC, or not. Personally, I have nothing but resentment left for these kind of business practices.

Small addition to Wallenstam AB [WALL B.STO].

Related to the above very nice post by @longterminvestor, source LinkedIn, June 29th 2024 :

So, @StubbleJumpers question above about if this is about Watsa funds or FFH funds hereby appear clearly justified, right? Now who's going to ask FFH IR about it?

Thank you very much, @ValueArb , This reply of yours is to me just soo awesome, thank you!

Please elaborate a bit, @ValueArb, as I did not understand this post of yours in the first place.

Meanwhile, other places :

Bloomberg - Politics [June 15th 2024] Danes Asked to Keep Supplies, Iodine Pills to Prepare for Crises. I suppose that perhaps this potential countermeasure for some CoBF members may seem and appear out of proportion, given the situation. But it's actually real and tangible here, and tells a lot about the overall local sentiment here.

<FFH Off Topic Begin>: @Hamburg Investor, Here is one for you : Hubspot [ February 29th 2024] : How to Create Excel Charts and Graphs. It's not that hard - Nothing is, if you can. Just try, and you'll get there! -Good luck! <FFH Off Topic End>

@thowed, More like GRANNOOLLASS [, perhaps, all depending on perception]. Despite Europe has been lagging North America in recent decades, it has still been possible to do well by stock picking, simply because structured stock picking based on rational criteria has been weeding out weak candidates in relevant indexes.

Have you studied the Berkshire 10-Qs and 10-Ks with regard to information about regulatory dividend restrictions for the insurance companies inside Berkshire, and if you have, what does that tell you?

Great analysis, - thank you! To me, it's simply mind boggling what SpaceX has been pulling off here! By now - only four test flights with this sucker, and we have more than just the contours of that the concept might end up being both feasible and operational.

#metoo. With good long term investments it's seldom too late to engage. About USD 55 per share by now.

@scorpioncapital, Yes, absolutely positive on that, too. However I would give it a very low probability, for a couple of reasons. First, I think she would set up an escape to Western Europe, if she felt that kind of heat was building up from her Boss, and I think she would react immedially, if so. There is to me no doubt that she has access to and control over funds and other means to do so. Second, she's a true hardballer and badass herself. Since taking office, she has closed about 400 Russian banks owned by russian oligarchs and other good and entrepreneurial people, involved in all kinds of criminal activities, money laudering etc, - you name it. Every time somebody has threatened her, she just ramped up on personal security. No sweat. A genuine red head with regard to temper and all that!

That's the paradox related to Elvira Nabiiullina : Why is she doing this? -Staying at helm of Bank of Russia as Govenor when she actually disagrees with her boss on material matters. Possible answers that I can see : 1. Personal considerations, related to maintaining her position, privileges, competencies and power allocated to her by her Boss. 2. For the sake of Mother Russia - the country and its population, letting these vindicate her own ambitions and desires. Personal submissiveness to obtain the privilege of active damage control. - - - o 0 o - - - Personally, I speculate it's # 2. And I speculate she really has a hard time doing it. But what do I know about that.

Greg [ @Gregmal], This morning I spent the needed almost two hours listening to this interview of Bruce Berkowitz. It's really great. It turns out that my loose [and subjective!] perception of this man has been totally wrong, based on some of his past doings. He appears fairly straightforward, well connnected to Mother Earth, and most of all he appears very clarified and settled bout his business and what else matters to his own life, - I would say in an uncommon degree, even considering his age. I would personally even call him a bit humble, while it's evident, that he has done very well. I like him. Thank you for sharing.

Thanks, @Pelagic, Great read. - - - o 0 o - - - A bit more about Bank of Russia Govenor Elvira Nabiiullina : The Economist actually has a piece about her by now in the 1843 Magazine : 1843 magazine explores the “Shakespearean” complexities of Elvira Nabiullina, Russia’s wartime banker : The Economist - 1843 Magazine [May 31st 2024] : Meet the poetry-loving banker who keeps Putin’s war going How long can Elvira Nabiullina work her magic? - - - o 0 o - - - To me personally, it's actually at least just a bit comforting, that there is at least one person with real influence close to Vladimir Putin in the Russian Government, who try to act based on actual data and reason, constantly trying to get the best out the situation.

Great read of a decompression for me early on a cloudy summer Saturday!

Bloomberg - Politics [June 7th 2024] : Putin’s Wartime Central Banker Tells Him What He Doesn’t Want to Hear. Bank of Russia Govenor Elvira Nabiiullina is on a Mission Impossible to make ends meet in the Russian economy. I can't imagine anyone envy her job and responisibilities. Exports revenue trimbling, collapsing and diving O&G taxes, enormous frozen reverves abroad [the worst nightmare of every beancounter], enormous budget deficits that she has to make sure to cover. More debt, more debt, more debt, all the time, which eventually will cause the RUB eventually to crash, again causing inflation to rage the whole country, causing dire straits in weak households and among the poor, the elder generation and among children, who did not win in the ovarial lottery. It is just so depressing to think about.

Still absolutely friggin' awesome how SpaceX is pulling this off! I'm sure the company will achieve its goals, visions and dreams, hell bent as it is, if the shareholders stay excited about the vision, too!

It seems like so, but what do I know about that, by now?