Warren Buffett is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist widely regarded as one of the most successful investors in the world. He was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on August 30, 1930, and showed a keen interest in business and investing from a young age. He is the CEO and largest shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway, a multinational conglomerate holding company.
Buffett was born to a stockbroker father, Howard Buffett, and his mother, Leila Stahl Buffett. He attended the University of Nebraska and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He attended the Columbia Business School, where he learned from the legendary value investor Benjamin Graham and earned a Master of Science in Economics.
After graduating from Columbia, Buffett worked for Graham’s investment partnership before starting his own partnership in 1956. He faced challenges in the early years of his partnership, with some years recording losses. However, he persisted and continued to refine his investment strategy.
Buffett’s investment strategy is focused on value investing, which involves buying undervalued stocks of high-quality companies and holding them for the long term. His approach has been successful, as he has delivered an average annual return of 20.5% since 1965, far surpassing the average return of the S&P 500 index.
Buffett is known for his exceptional analytical abilities, discipline, and focus on long-term value creation. He is also known for his commitment to ethical investing practices and refusal to invest in companies that engage in unethical or harmful activities.
Buffett has made numerous contributions to the business and investing world. He is widely regarded as one of the most successful investors of all time and has amassed a net worth of over $100 billion, making him one of the wealthiest people in the world. He is also a noted philanthropist and has pledged to donate the vast majority of his wealth to charity.
Buffett has received numerous accolades throughout his career, including being named the world’s richest person in 2008 and being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011.
Buffett’s leadership style is characterized by a hands-off approach, allowing the CEOs of the companies he invests in to run their businesses without interference. He is also known for his focus on long-term value creation and his commitment to ethical investing practices.
Buffett is highly respected in the business and investing world, and his peers and mentors have praised his analytical abilities, focus on long-term value creation, and commitment to ethical investing practices. Bill Gates has referred to him as “the greatest investor of our time,” while Charlie Munger, his longtime business partner, has praised him as “the most rational human being I’ve ever met.”