Peter Kaufman

[netnet]

Shane Parrish (founder of Farnam Street), who is fairly well known in these parts, recently posted a podcast that is a summary of the talk that Peter Kaufman gave at the Redlands Erisi Forum  complete talk here,   Munger, described Kaufman as a really great business man, as well as a good friend of his.  Kaufman also the editor/author of Poor Charlie's Almanack.

 

Kaufman is leery of publicity: he said "The whale who is visible gets harpooned".  Here is a link to a handout from a talk he gave: handout. And here is a link to the handout from the Redlands talk: unsung hero

 

I am curious if anyone knows more about him, other than he has been CEO of Glenair for decades and was a director of the Daily Journal. I really wonder why he didn't wind up running a major division at Berkshire, or even being a potential CEO of Berkshire. (Presumably, he is perfectly happy running Glenair, being the captain of his own ship, yet....) Was Glenair his family's business? etc.

 

Thoughts?

 

 

 

 

 

[Hektor]

@netnet Thank you for the post and the links.

[gfp]

Kaufman is co-executor and trustee of Charlie's estate along with Charles T Munger Jr.

 

From DJCO proxy:

Peter D. Kaufman may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of 131,297 shares in his role as trustee of certain trusts for the benefit of the Munger family that hold shares of Company Common Stock. According to the Schedule 13D, Mr. Kaufman’s address is 1211 Air Way, Glendale, California 91201

[gfp]

2 hours ago, netnet said:

Was Glenair his family's business?

 

No, he started working for Glenair in college and became CEO in 1977

[investmd]

4 hours ago, netnet said:

Shane Parrish (founder of Farnam Street), who is fairly well known in these parts, recently posted a podcast that is a summary of the talk that Peter Kaufman gave at the Redlands Erisi Forum  complete talk here,   Munger, described Kaufman as a really great business man, as well as a good friend of his.  Kaufman also the editor/author of Poor Charlie's Almanack.

 

Kaufman is leery of publicity: he said "The whale who is visible gets harpooned".  Here is a link to a handout from a talk he gave: handout. And here is a link to the handout from the Redlands talk: unsung hero

 

I am curious if anyone knows more about him, other than he has been CEO of Glenair for decades and was a director of the Daily Journal. I really wonder why he didn't wind up running a major division at Berkshire, or even being a potential CEO of Berkshire. (Presumably, he is perfectly happy running Glenair, being the captain of his own ship, yet....) Was Glenair his family's business? etc.

 

Thoughts?

 

 

 

 

 

yes - the TKP podscast on lesson's from Kaufman is a great episode. Takeaways include:

• Mirrored Reciprocation - whatever you put out, you get back -
  • you have to go first - Go Positive First
  • “all you have to do if you want everything in life from everybody else is first, pay attention, listen to them, show them respect, give them meaning, satisfaction and fulfillment. Convey to them that they matter to you and show you love them. But you have to go first.”
  • "So much advantage in life comes from being willing to look like an idiot in the short term, willing to be uncomfortable. If you can get over the momentary fear of looking like an idiot, the uncomfortableness of that, then you can accomplish amazing things.”
• Most powerful force is Compound Interest - Dogged, incremental, constant progress

 

Go Positive, Go First and Be Consistent

[netnet]

On 1/23/2026 at 2:25 PM, gfp said:

 

No, he started working for Glenair in college and became CEO in 1977

I don't know how he could have become CEO at 24, in 1977 if it wasn't a family business.

[gfp]

31 minutes ago, netnet said:

I don't know how he could have become CEO at 24, in 1977 if it wasn't a family business.

 

1977 may be when he joined the firm, not when he became CEO.  The Jameson family controls the company but apparently Peter's father Marvin Kaufman was one of the founders and probably the reason Peter got the job and moved up quickly.  The Jameson family still controls the company today but I'm sure Peter earned significant ownership in the firm besides whatever his father had.