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nkp007

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Posts posted by nkp007

  1. Buffett: Hey Bill, I bet you I can get ten thousand "value investors" to buy a book of random, out of print, old business articles from an author they never heard of.

     

    Gates: No way. These guys always do their research. They think independently and ignore the crowd.

     

    Buffett: It's easy. Just let them think it was our little secret. And add a pre-order button.

     

    Gates: This was a great illuminati meeting. I've learned so much from you Warren.

     

    Lebron: Same here.

     

  2. http://blogs.wsj.com/moneybeat/2014/04/23/buffett-cant-find-bear-for-berkshire-annual-meeting/?mod=yahoo_hs

     

    WEB is truly looking for blindsides and it is telling that not a single bear is available. I was hoping someone would show up to help me think about risks I don't know of. Looks like Doug Kass has not been invited back. I thought that Doug's questions last year were mostly without substance and was even silly.

     

    Well, Doug used that as a platform to ask Berkshire to give him money to run a short book for them -- so I'm guessing that probably didn't endear him to Buffett and Munger.

     

    Haha, that was great. Kass went into this long spiel and you could tell where it was heading. Then he asked for $100 million or something like that and Buffett was civil in telling him why that wouldn't be possible, but not saying no directly.

     

    And then Munger chimes in with a "NO!" and then they move on.

  3. I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.  He did the Dale Carnegie course because he was scared of public speaking.  He said he was a terrible salesman because he looked and sounded like a 12 year old (something like that).

     

    Re the partnerships, a lot of his original investors were friends and family (not much networking required), and later investors came on board because of performance.

     

    Look, I'm not saying the guy was an anti social recluse, but you can't really be an uber networker living in Omaha, can you?

     

    I think I read that his final partnership was worth $600mln in today's money.  That sounds pretty small to mid cap to me - I know he invested in AMEX.

     

    My idea of a networker is someone who is at the bar at a conference, handing out business cards....

     

    Back to Scott Hall - I found his twitter, the guy's clearly good.  But I found evidence of one expense... a Capital IQ!! They're quite costly, right?

     

    I get Capital IQ through my employment for free. I like it as it helps me see decades of financials on one screen, but I wouldn't pay for it personally.

     

    As for everything else: you guys can think I'm crazy or not. A good chunk of my office does, but we get along well anyway. I don't really let what people think about my lifestyle influence me, because it does not really matter to me what anyone thinks of me.

     

    I dropped out of the fourth grade and became a recluse for over a decade before I was hired by my employer. I'm happy to go back to that lifestyle should it ever be necessary. For various reasons I don't have to work, I just do so because it gives me something to do. This is true freedom to me. Beyond the laws of the land, I don't have to answer to anyone if I do not want to, which I think is an advantage as it allows me to run my life my way and live by my own principles.

     

    I'm not going to condemn any of you for having more lavish or more frugal lifestyles than I have. If that is what makes you happy, then I am glad for you. My way is not for everyone and I know that, but it is the best way for me that I have found. If I ever find a better one, I will change, but until then, I am happy with how I operate right now.

     

    The inner scorecard at its best.

  4. I don't have a position in these but have been trying to follow the events:

     

    1) Can anyone briefly describe why it's unlikely that the current proposal by the Senate Banking Committee won't be executed on or why shareholders would be left with anything if it is?

     

    It certainly seems easier to use Fannie and Freddie as opposed to hoping that private capital will step up as they're already in existence and have established themselves within a mutli trillion dollar market; however, there certainly seems to be political will to kill them. Even the average Joe, who is most likely to be hurt by losing the 30 year mortgage, doesn't seem to understand this implication and is generally behind the idea of dismantling them. How do you discount idiocy?

     

    1) I don't think the (conservative) House will be caught dead voting for this bill. They want government out of housing completely.

     

    2) This bill seems really similar to Corker-Warner, and that bill stalled, likely due to intense backroom lobbying from the BBR (builders-bankers-realtors) lobby

     

    3) All the builders-bankers-realtors coalition really needs to do is start a marketing blitz to the American public saying that after bailing out the banks and Goldman and AIG, the government now wants to get rid of the 30-year mortgage via elimination of Fannie and Freddie

     

    Any ill will towards these organizations from the general public will likely quickly dissipate once the (hyperbolic) real estate implications are painted in terms America understands.

  5. The question about putting his widow's money in a Vanguard ETF versus BRK is one I wanted answered. He didn't really answer this question though, so I'm still wondering why he's doing this.

     

    I think he did answer this on Monday, when he said it would be self serving to promote Berkshire.

     

    I love Buffett...but that's a really rich answer.

     

    http://www.berkshirehathaway.com/letters/letters.html

     

    http://mobile.thegatesnotes.com/Personal/At-the-Berkshire-Hathaway-Annual-Meeting-in-Omaha

     

  6. Investor Fires Salvo Against Fannie, Freddie

     

    http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304585004579415490523879118?mod=rss_economy&mg=reno64-wsj

     

     

    Mr. Berkowitz said last week's letters followed a series of unsuccessful attempts to meet with the chief executives of both companies. "It's easy to see we're not welcome," he said, adding he was still waiting for a response. "If the directors have a pulse and five dollars in a bank account, I think they should be concerned because not responding to me would be bordering on gross negligence," he said.

     

     

     

     

     

  7. Court grants Fairholme discovery motion.

     

    http://blogs.wsj.com/moneybeat/2014/02/26/court-grants-fairholmes-discovery-motion-in-fannie-freddie-suit/

     

     

    Hypothetical discovery:

     

    Bruce: Can I see any documents you have related to the 2012 sweep?

    Government: REDACTED

     

    Bruce: Can I see your profitability forecasts for F+F?

    Government: REDACTED

     

    Bruce: Is there anything you're actually willing to show me?

    Government: REDACTED you! And REDACTED that mother-REDACTED Ackman guy too.

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