Buffett/Berkshire - general news

[Munger_Disciple]

News item tangentially related to Berkshire. I believe Malcolm "Kim" Chace used to be a Berkshire board member. His family was the only one of the large original "Berkshire Hathaway" shareholders who didn't sell stock when Buffett took control and rode it all the way. 

 

https://www.golocalprov.com/news/billionaire-chaces-will-was-changed-in-final-days-of-his-life-he-was-comple

[Munger_Disciple]

I found this blurb in Buffett's 1991 letter to shareholders:

 

Malcolm G. Chace, Jr., now 88, has decided not to stand for election as a director this year. But the association of the Chace family with Berkshire will not end: Malcolm III (Kim), Malcolm's son, will be nominated to replace him.

 

In 1931, Malcolm went to work for Berkshire Fine Spinning Associates, which merged with Hathaway Manufacturing Co. in 1955 to form our present company. Two years later, Malcolm became Berkshire Hathaway's Chairman, a position he held as well in early 1965 when he made it possible for Buffett Partnership, Ltd. to buy a key block of Berkshire stock owned by some of his relatives. This purchase gave our partnership effective control of the company. Malcolm's immediate family meanwhile kept its Berkshire stock and for the last 27 years has had the second-largest holding in the company, trailing only the Buffett family. Malcolm has been a joy to work with and we are delighted that the long-running relationship between the Chace family and Berkshire is continuing to a new generation.

Edited April 27, 2023 by Munger_Disciple

[John Hjorth]

Berkshire Hathaway Press Release [April 27^th 2023].

 

It reads a bit weird to me, any information about the supplementary background information about this would be appreciated, if you have any to share, thank you.

[gfp]

1 hour ago, John Hjorth said:

Berkshire Hathaway Press Release [April 27^th 2023].

 

It reads a bit weird to me, any information about the supplementary background information about this would be appreciated, if you have any to share, thank you.

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/talc-supplier-to-cosmetics-firms-files-bankruptcy-after-lawsuits-1.1913164

[sleepydragon]

Where is everyone watching the Annual Meeting 2023 online today?

CNBC has it but it doesn't start until 9:45am. 

Yahoo Finance no longer has the video/pre-show etc..?

 

[spartansaver]

It’s not until next weekend.

[sleepydragon]

4 minutes ago, spartansaver said:

It’s not until next weekend.

[Xerxes]

2 hours ago, sleepydragon said:

Where is everyone watching the Annual Meeting 2023 online today?

CNBC has it but it doesn't start until 9:45am. 

Yahoo Finance no longer has the video/pre-show etc..?

 

 On CNBC directly. 
the live portion is no longer on YouTube. 
 

[John Hjorth]

@Xerxes,

 

Please see the - likely intentional - smiley used by @sleepydragon in the exchange with @spartansaver above [  ]. This is actually quite funny! [  ].

 

- - - o 0 o - - -

 

Edit :

 

@Xerxes,

 

If my above posts to you seemed patronizing  and condecending, I hereby apologize.

 

Here is a more specific angle :

 

The 2023 Annual Meeting will be on May 6, 2023 [, which means next weekend].

Edited April 29, 2023 by John Hjorth

[sleepydragon]

4 hours ago, John Hjorth said:

@Xerxes,

 

Please see the - likely intentional - smiley used by @sleepydragon in the exchange with @spartansaver above [  ]. This is actually quite funny! [  ].

 

- - - o 0 o - - -

 

Edit :

 

@Xerxes,

 

If my above posts to you seemed patronizing  and condecending, I hereby apologize.

 

Here is a more specific angle :

 

The 2023 Annual Meeting will be on May 6, 2023 [, which means next weekend].

 

I decided to watch the 2022 video as a warm up instead  

[Xerxes]

6 hours ago, John Hjorth said:

@Xerxes,

 

Please see the - likely intentional - smiley used by @sleepydragon in the exchange with @spartansaver above [  ]. This is actually quite funny! [  ].

 

- - - o 0 o - - -

 

Edit :

 

@Xerxes,

 

If my above posts to you seemed patronizing  and condecending, I hereby apologize.

 

Here is a more specific angle :

 

The 2023 Annual Meeting will be on May 6, 2023 [, which means next weekend].

All good John 

looks they can’t wait for it  hahaha

 

[Ulti]

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-study-billionaires-the-investors-podcast-network/id928933489
 

Interview about Berkshire with Chris Bloomstran

[gfp]

Charlie did an interview for the Financial Times -

https://www.ft.com/content/da9f8230-2eb1-49c5-b63a-f1507936d01b

Charlie Munger has warned of a brewing storm in the US commercial….pdf

Edited April 30, 2023 by gfp

[drzola]

Thanks listening to this now.  I actually got my broker to put 1/4 of my portfolio of my RSP in to Berky and MSFT he was floored best move next to me in self registered  taxable acct put 1/4th into Fairfax when it went below $100 CDN FX in mid first decade of 2000's

[Ulti]

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/02/opinion/warren-buffett-berkshire-hathaway-social-governance.html

 

excellent op Ed by Roger Lowenstein abou buffet and new age esg movement 

[Munger_Disciple]

24 minutes ago, Ulti said:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/02/opinion/warren-buffett-berkshire-hathaway-social-governance.html

 

excellent op Ed by Roger Lowenstein abou buffet and new age esg movement 

 

Thanks for sharing!

[Ulti]

Makes you kinda realize how off the deep end the left and right are in this country 

[Charlie]

Anyone asking Buffett and Munger questions? 

It´s probably a good time to think hard what do you want to know from them.

Perhaps one of the last times you can ask them!

 

You can e-mail them to [email protected].

I did also ask one and it´s interesting if your questions get picked.

 

Cheers!

 

[MMM20]

On 5/2/2023 at 12:13 PM, Ulti said:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/02/opinion/warren-buffett-berkshire-hathaway-social-governance.html

 

excellent op Ed by Roger Lowenstein abou buffet and new age esg movement 

 

https://rogerlowenstein.substack.com/p/the-oracle-of-omaha-takes-on-progressives

 

Can’t get enough of Roger Lowenstein or Buffett. The combo is gold. 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 4, 2023 by MMM20

[MMM20]

On 5/2/2023 at 12:13 PM, Ulti said:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/02/opinion/warren-buffett-berkshire-hathaway-social-governance.html

 

excellent op Ed by Roger Lowenstein abou buffet and new age esg movement 

 

“Two of its businesses, Berkshire Hathaway Energy and BNSF Railway, account for more than 90 percent of the company’s fossil fuels consumption; each discloses its carbon footprint and a timeline for reduction. Berkshire Energy, which serves 12 million customers, says half of its electricity stems from noncarbon fuels. (About 40 percent of electricity in the United States is generated using zero-carbon fuels.) Berkshire Energy has invested more than $30 billion in renewables, much of it on infrastructure to, as Mr. Buffett puts it, get power from where the wind blows to where people live. Meanwhile, it has been shuttering coal facilities.”

 

Berkshire might literally be doing the most of any single corporation to *actually* decarbonize the US, but clearly not doing the most to virtue signal and that’s the real problem for these people. ESG ratings remain a complete sham.
 

Edited May 4, 2023 by MMM20

[Spooky]

Anyone have a non-paywalled link to the op ed?

[gfp]

11 minutes ago, Spooky said:

Anyone have a non-paywalled link to the op ed?

try this

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/02/opinion/warren-buffett-berkshire-hathaway-social-governance.html?unlocked_article_code=5vGDBfsq9Vo3g_jC16KqZr0QmRBtklIhg934ukWxDXF2BSFSxnxt-dbcC2O4EK41bB2B3Q5gauMTKTz4D3EAZbViDmq04kWYAtn-5avem8cRr3K3epHklXVI5uxSOw0hxyaSR5ZxJmiuYabBuqwoqSuR35jp5KocKSf1zEELs0AoajaJnPAi9PnY0IH3a4K2SL0TiwEeIVGG6UUU2dtm0IS2pG2tB7kDVnySb0Rr7l-j7YNRvWFtZYtM4Bm8iJWfXMbZ_go1_7FSofkLmkh4hIzCA6Mp_l0UTDlwwr4YpJCgakSX-jYRly4T3eiZrrwYLk8jgTr5X20_xLEIm7V441T-J5Lu-WS5NqOU6ixYfRUslEXL6Y9-2AgFWvgbzQ&smid=url-share

[Spooky]

1 hour ago, gfp said:

try this

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/02/opinion/warren-buffett-berkshire-hathaway-social-governance.html?unlocked_article_code=5vGDBfsq9Vo3g_jC16KqZr0QmRBtklIhg934ukWxDXF2BSFSxnxt-dbcC2O4EK41bB2B3Q5gauMTKTz4D3EAZbViDmq04kWYAtn-5avem8cRr3K3epHklXVI5uxSOw0hxyaSR5ZxJmiuYabBuqwoqSuR35jp5KocKSf1zEELs0AoajaJnPAi9PnY0IH3a4K2SL0TiwEeIVGG6UUU2dtm0IS2pG2tB7kDVnySb0Rr7l-j7YNRvWFtZYtM4Bm8iJWfXMbZ_go1_7FSofkLmkh4hIzCA6Mp_l0UTDlwwr4YpJCgakSX-jYRly4T3eiZrrwYLk8jgTr5X20_xLEIm7V441T-J5Lu-WS5NqOU6ixYfRUslEXL6Y9-2AgFWvgbzQ&smid=url-share

 

Thanks!

[John Hjorth]

3 hours ago, MMM20 said:

 

“Two of its businesses, Berkshire Hathaway Energy and BNSF Railway, account for more than 90 percent of the company’s fossil fuels consumption; each discloses its carbon footprint and a timeline for reduction. Berkshire Energy, which serves 12 million customers, says half of its electricity stems from noncarbon fuels. (About 40 percent of electricity in the United States is generated using zero-carbon fuels.) Berkshire Energy has invested more than $30 billion in renewables, much of it on infrastructure to, as Mr. Buffett puts it, get power from where the wind blows to where people live. Meanwhile, it has been shuttering coal facilities.”

 

Berkshire might literally be doing the most of any single corporation to *actually* decarbonize the US, but clearly not doing the most to virtue signal and that’s the real problem for these people. ESG ratings remain a complete sham.
 

 

Quotes by late Arnold Mærsk McKinney-Møller, which to me still are true:

 

• "He who has the ability has the duty.", 
• "It is about acting morally right and nationally right. It often happens, and I think it also happens in many companies, that decisions are made that are not favorable to what is called the bottom line." &
• "Good corporate governance has always been on the minds of our board, our management and me personally. But it's not something you can sign up for. It is something that is practiced in practice adapted to the individual company and the world in which we live."

Mr. Møller passed away on April 16^th 2012, now more than 11 years ago.

[MCR]

23 hours ago, Charlie said:

Anyone asking Buffett and Munger questions? 

It´s probably a good time to think hard what do you want to know from them.

Perhaps one of the last times you can ask them!

 

You can e-mail them to [email protected].

I did also ask one and it´s interesting if your questions get picked.

 

Cheers!

 

There was an article in the WSJ yesterday on WEB's history of oil-and-gas investments and anticipation that there will be questions about OXY & CVX tomorrow.  As it happens, I sent a question in early April asking about BRK's investments in both companies. There was reporting in the WSJ in March that producers in the Permian are producing less oil and may have reached their peak. Both OXY & CVX of course have heavy Permian presence. It would be nice to hear more of WEB's rationale. I read somewhere (can't remember where) that the OXY & CVX positions might be related to the way both companies are currently run: low capex and healthy share buybacks at both companies. But I'd much prefer to hear from WEB and CTM themselves about this.

I agree it would be cool to hear Becky say your name and ask your question. We'll see what happens...