How has WEB changed your life?

[kiwing100]

 

There are many of you who have had your lives changed in some way from reading about & learning from Warren Buffett. Just curious about 2 questions:

 

1. how he has changed your life / how he has positively impacted your life?

2. what lessons have you learnt from Warren Buffett?

 

 

 

[jschembs]

Value of deferred taxes.

[Kraven]

What can you say about someone who has given so much and taken nothing in return?  How do you breathe a portion of his air?  If he tells you to invest the only appropriate response is "how much?"  I don't know what to say or do that would be a fitting tribute. I would gladly give my life for his.

[Gamecock-YT]

he taught me how to love a woman - and how to scold a child

[Liberty]

Very well-said, Kraven.

 

To me he's one of the best role models out there demonstrating the values of honesty and rationality.

[Guest longinvestor]

Intellectual honesty.

1. Don't say you understand something when you don't. Not even to yourself.

2. Make your own decisions, accept consequences and acknowledge mistakes.

[wisdom]

Has impacted me in many ways that I might not even understand yet. I definitely live a far better life as a result.

 

If all of us can pay it forward, I believe the biggest impact will be as his efforts are compounded through people like us. Will make for a much better world.

[woltac]

Aside from the annual trip to Omaha for the last dozen years or so, Mr. Buffett's influence has given me the ability to retire at a relatively early age.

 

The lessons that come to mind immediately:

• Investing Rule #1 Never lose money; Rule #2 Don't forget rule #1
  
• Think of stocks as investments in a business rather than investments in a security.
  
• Invest in companies that you want to hold forever (still have trouble with this one occasionally)
  
• Price is what you pay, value is what you get.
  
• Mr. Market analogy as the right way to think about the stock market
  
• Insurance float can be an asset, although it is treated as a liability for accounting purposes
  

There are many, many more lessons.

[Palantir]

He taught me it's socially acceptable to have a public mistress. Yowza!

[bizaro86]

He taught me it's socially acceptable to have a public mistress. Yowza!

 

Did he teach your spouse that too?  8)

[premfan]

He taught me it's socially acceptable to have a public mistress. Yowza!

 

 

Bazinga!

[ragu]

Very well-said, Kraven.

 

Heh. I think you'll find that Kraven was, as they call it, "taking the mickey" out of potential responses.

 

Best,

Ragu

[Liberty]

Very well-said, Kraven.

 

Heh. I think you'll find that Kraven was, as they call it, "taking the mickey" out of potential responses.

 

Best,

Ragu

 

Of course. It's usually safe to assume that most of what Kraven says in a thread not directly about investing is irony, so I was ironic in return. Guess it doesn't translate well without smileys... :)

[mountboney]

Discovered Buffett (and Valueline) in 1994, 19.7% CAGR for 19+ years, 32X, 7 years over 30%, worst year -5%.

Before Buffett I was clueless and sucked, and when I stray occasionally I can still suck.

His comments through 08/09 were golden, may he live to be 120.

Thank you Warren!!!!!!!

[Guest longinvestor]

Discovered Buffett (and Valueline) in 1994, 19.7% CAGR for 19+ years, 32X, 7 years over 30%, worst year -5%.

Before Buffett I was clueless and sucked, and when I stray occasionally I can still suck.

His comments through 08/09 were golden, may he live to be 120.

Thank you Warren!!!!!!!

Curious, what %age of your pf / networth is BRK?

[randomep]

 

Because of him, I realistically expect to beat the market.

 

This is as opposed to most day traders and such who have a delusional belief that they can beat the market.

[mountboney]

Discovered Buffett (and Valueline) in 1994, 19.7% CAGR for 19+ years, 32X, 7 years over 30%, worst year -5%.

Before Buffett I was clueless and sucked, and when I stray occasionally I can still suck.

His comments through 08/09 were golden, may he live to be 120.

Thank you Warren!!!!!!!

Curious, what %age of your pf / networth is BRK?

 

Largest position at around 20% of nw

[Guest longinvestor]

Discovered Buffett (and Valueline) in 1994, 19.7% CAGR for 19+ years, 32X, 7 years over 30%, worst year -5%.

Before Buffett I was clueless and sucked, and when I stray occasionally I can still suck.

His comments through 08/09 were golden, may he live to be 120.

Thank you Warren!!!!!!!

Curious, what %age of your pf / networth is BRK?

 

Largest position at around 20% of nw

Thanks for sharing. I'm 80% BRK, but have not had as long a runway as you have. Since 2006.

Has the other 80% of your pf done as well as BRK?

[Charlie]

I will probably retire at an early age since most of my money is in Berkshire.  :)

 

Some of the important lessons I learned from Buffett and Munger:

 

1. Circle of Competence: You have to know what you know. I think more than 95% of people overestimate their circle of competence.

2. Focused thinking: If your mind doesn´t tend to focus, nothing will help.

3. Health is more than 95% of success.

4. Try to be likeable.

5. Search for Lollapalooza Effects.

6. Try to contribute something positive to the world.

[Vish_ram]

For helping me realize that you don't need money to be happy.

[merkhet]

For helping me realize that you don't need money to be happy.

 

This is probably #1 for me as well.

 

His speech at the University of Florida in 1998 was particularly instructive:

 

I was going to do the same things when I had a little bit of money as when I had a lot of money. If you think of the difference between me and you, we wear the same clothes basically (SunTrust gives me mine), we eat similar food—we all go to McDonald’ s or better yet, Dairy Queen, and we live in a house that is warm in winter and cool in summer. We watch the Nebraska (football) game on big screen TV. You see it the same way I see it. We do everything the same—our lives are not that different. The only thing we do is we travel differently. What can I do that you can’t do?

 

For this little nugget of wisdom, I am eternally grateful.

[Guest longinvestor]

For helping me realize that you don't need money to be happy.

 

A corollary of this is while you don't need the money yourself, there are causes worth supporting that take lots of money. You may not know how charitable work is done but if you know how to invest and make lots of money, turn over what you don't need. We've started this in our own life and our giving in the last 7 years has exceeded all prior Giving. I also have a portion of my retirement designated for future giving. The magic of compounding working for the larger good. Directly learned from the master.

[Packer16]

For helping me realize that you don't need money to be happy.

 

A corollary of this is while you don't need the money yourself, there are causes worth supporting that take lots of money. You may not know how charitable work is done but if you know how to invest and make lots of money, turn over what you don't need. We've started this in our own life and our giving in the last 7 years has exceeded all prior Giving. I also have a portion of my retirement designated for future giving. The magic of compounding working for the larger good. Directly learned from the master.

 

This is spot on and there is more than one master who espouses this point of view.  A view of life and resources as stewardship and not ownership allows you realize that investment gains should be directed to help others and not to purchase things that moth and rust will destroy.  I find Warren's recent most important question interesting: although current agnostic, it is is there a God?  He is on the right track.

 

Packer

[Spekulatius]

For helping me realize that you don't need money to be happy.

 

This is probably #1 for me as well.

 

His speech at the University of Florida in 1998 was particularly instructive:

 

I was going to do the same things when I had a little bit of money as when I had a lot of money. If you think of the difference between me and you, we wear the same clothes basically (SunTrust gives me mine), we eat similar food—we all go to McDonald’ s or better yet, Dairy Queen, and we live in a house that is warm in winter and cool in summer. We watch the Nebraska (football) game on big screen TV. You see it the same way I see it. We do everything the same—our lives are not that different. The only thing we do is we travel differently. What can I do that you can’t do?

 

For this little nugget of wisdom, I am eternally grateful.

 

His speech at the University of Florida in 1998 was one of his best.

 

Just this timeless excerpt:

Buffett: (holds mike) Testing: One million $, two million $....three million $.

 

https://www.tilsonfunds.com/BuffettUofFloridaspeech.pdf

 

I am on my second pint of microbrew now and for a totally unrelated reason also bumping long forgotten threads.

 

[kiwing100]

 

Talk at Florida University 1998.

 

For those who wish to listen (or watch the video) -