Parsad

Yeah, I guess I should have clarified that "off-topic" discussion rule. I don't mind off-topic, as long as I don't get multiple complaints from boardmembers. So feel free to discuss "off-topic", but if multiple complaints come in because the subject is controversial or offensive, then I may have to pull it. If I start getting complaints from Patriot's fans, you're out of luck! ;D Cheers!

She's getting as much press as Doug Kass or Whitney Tilson these days when it comes to Berkshire and Buffett. I think it's kind of crass and naturally self-serving, but hey Buffett created the beast in the first place by giving her all access. Didn't anyone at Berkshire see this possibly coming? They run their businesses thinking about the worst possible outcomes, yet Buffett didn't think giving this woman more access than anyone else could backfire? His original intention of his annual shareholder's letters being his legacy and biography was the best and most fitting idea. Cheers!

Definitely off-topic, but I know there are some football fans here, if not Colt and Patriots fans. My boy Manning pulled his team through one more time against the amazing Brady. Unbelievable finish to this game! 9-0 baby! Cheers!

When you look 30+ years out, and attempt to rank which businesses/industries are most likely to still be around, I think BNI would definitely be above Coke on the list. Just as I think Coke would be above Google and Microsoft (even though both have larger franchise values). Sorry Max, I have to disagree here. While railroads have been around since the early 1800's, BNI itself was formed recently. Coke has been around since 1886. That's enough history to probably assume that both moats are at least equal. I would also argue that Burlington's business is solely dependent on the success of the U.S. over the next 50-100 years. Whereas Coke's success isn't dependent on any single nation. If the U.S. stumbles over the next 30 years, that's ok because China or India will be drinking more Coke. Coke's moat would also be unhindered by new technological advances, nor would profit margins be compromised by other's developing new distribution centres for competitive products. I believe the only real weakness Coke could be exposed to is if litigious judgments are made against Coke, by consumers who decide that the product could be detrimental to one's health. I think it is a very remote possibility, but there is always the chance that it could happen over time, not unlike the tobacco industry's demise over time. Smoking at one time was as acceptable and commonplace as someone eating a Big Mac or drinking a can of Coke today. Who knows what things will be like 50 years from now? On another note, I would also like to comment to boardmembers that what is good for Berkshire, isn't necessarily in the best interest of the average small investor, or even small investment firm. Berkshire makes investments for Berkshire's size and succession planning. The average investor really has neither concern when buying something for their portfolio. Burlington, like MAE, will suck up excess cash at Berkshire for the next 50-100 years. That means less cash in the hands of the potential CIO's, who are unlikely to be as good as Buffett...at least over such an extended period of time and with large amounts of capital. There are much smaller and cheaper targets that we all can look for. Cheers!

There's a new Charlie Rose interview with Buffett: http://www.charlierose.com/ Buffett also said that Burlington Northern was not cheap, and it was an investment for the next 100 years. Cheers! http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=arwqyNBGLRG8&pos=1

Actually, if you can get past Schroeder's first 120 pages or so in the Snowball, full of unnecessary innuendo and crap about Buffett's supposedly dysfunctional family, then it becomes quite an extraordinary book on Buffett...easily one of the best. I don't like all her marketing right now, but some parts of that book are absolutely engrossing! Cheers!

Parsad, How did you calculate Bershire's leverage (Assets/Equity) to be 3:1? I get a much lower number. If you consider their insurance ops, it is very small (222B assets, 62B float). I agree with you that one of Fairfax's problems is too much leverage in the insurance ops. Your comparison however implies it is closer to Berkshire's leverage when it is not. Hi Sreenr, Sorry, I was just rounding. Berkshire's leverage historically over the last few years has been around 2.5-1. If you include off-balance stuff like their derivatives exposure, finance business, etc. it's probably a little higher, so I just rounded to 3-1. Cheers!

I don't think comparing Buffett and Watsa are fair. They are two different people, who started their businesses in two different periods. Neither is above any sense of hypocrisy, since both have done things that they long talked about never doing. Buffett just recently split B shares, which he said he would never do, as well as invested in derivatives, airlines and technology (BYD). Prem's biggest turnabout was issuing stock below book, but he kind of had to do that to save the company! Unfortunately, we are all guilty of that, since you are constantly learning when investing. You will make mistakes...Buffett has made his share and Watsa made his share. Sometimes you have to eat your own words to correct mistakes, or you view the world a bit differently and take another approach. The only thing I wish Fairfax would emulate more of Berkshire is the reduced leverage...3-1 at Berkshire and 6-1 at Fairfax, although leverage has come down closer to 4-1 at Fairfax with the huge runup in book value, so Prem's headed in the right direction. But I don't believe there is any other insurance company that has acted with the same moral compass and decisive capital decisions as Berkshire...the closest is Fairfax, whether people like to admit it or not. Not Markel, not White Mountains, etc. If you look at what has transpired over the last 24 years at Fairfax, in particular the type of leadership it took to do what they have in the last six years, it is the stuff of what legends are made of. Cheers!

I watched the program tonight. There were some interesting points, but alot of it was stuff you've heard before. I actually found the old 2005 biography on Bill Gates immediately after the program more interesting! Cheers!

Fairfax purchased $750M of California's $908M in BAB bonds that were ordered. I guess Fairfax is making a bet on the U.S. as well. ;D Cheers! http://www.forbes.com/feeds/afx/2009/11/12/afx7117728.html

I suppose he means between Prem, Cundill, Southeastern, Markel, Templeton, other principals at Hamblin-Watsa, and Francis, they control close to 75% of the stock. I was surprised by that number as well! I thought it was probably closer to 55% or so. Perhaps, they mean 75% of the votes, as Prem's multiple-voting stock would probably allow them to approach 80%. Cheers!

Not a major crash across the board, but you will have some serious consequences in commercial real estate in many areas, and as Prem said, over the next few years there will be some opportunity. And I have to say, I believe it will be fairly significant opportunity...perhaps on par with what we are seeing in residential real estate in the U.S. in some overbuilt areas. It was a period of easy money, and unfortunately there is ultimately a trickle-down effect when significant wealth is destroyed. The commercial real estate industry is probably one of the final receipients of that undesired gift. Cheers!

Bloomberg had a little article about some comments Prem made in his speech at ACG Toronto this morning. Not sure if anyone attended, but if so, they may be able to add to the article. Cheers! http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601082&sid=a7yoVC2buPhE

CNBC will be airing a special with Bill Gates and Warren Buffett at Columbia University tomorrow. It will replay on Sunday. Cheers! http://www.cnbc.com/id/33495537

Excellent interview with Harvard prof Ken Rogoff who was previously with the IMF. Wonderful discussion on the U.S.' current problems and what it will take to try and resolve them. Cheers! http://www.charlierose.com/

Would anyone have a problem with me putting a PDF copy on here? Yes, it's copyrighted material! There are plenty of sites that have it for viewing as the links show, so it's better to use those links than post the file here. Cheers!

No problem Saumil! Cheers!

Hi Net-net, No, it is perfectly fine. Cheers!

Terms for Fairfax's $17.6M investment in Zoomer Media is amended. Cheers! http://pr-canada.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=140325&Itemid=61

No problem Eric! General discussion can get kind of "general", so we just try to keep things on topic when we can. Cheers!

Hi Folks, I've gotten a number of complaints about one specific post. I had to remove the topic as it had no relation to investing. I'm sure investors have had various influences on their life that have been positive, but as this is an investing message board, we need to keep the subject somewhat on target. Cheers!

Folks, I had to remove the original notes for a reason...as they were somebody else's private notes, but got passed around. So as much as I know you guys would like to read it, it doesn't mean somebody should copy it and post it here. Thanks very much! Cheers!

A former enforcement lawyer for the SEC plead guilty to assisting Marc Dreier in his Ponzi fraud. Cheers! http://www.cnbc.com/id/33796256

While there is no formal investigation of SAC, it seems as though the web of connections to Cohen's firm is getting wider. Cheers! http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aqUVDRr07Vrs&pos=6

As I've suspected all along for several years, it won't be long before we find out the truth behind some of the so-called great hedge fund managers and hear about the shenanigans they've been involved with. In particular, all of those Damien Hirst collecting, Barbarian at the Gates thugs! Anyone still remember the photograph of Adam Sender and his 17 monitors? ;D Greenwich is going to get as cold as a witches tit! Cheers! http://blogs.reuters.com/columns/2009/11/06/still-on-the-hunt-for-a-big-hedgie/