Would you take this chance to meet Buffett?

Warren Buffett has agreed to hosting a 2hr Q&A session and having lunch at his favorite steak house with 14 students from my school's MBA program and 13 students from my school's undergraduate business program. We have to pay airfare and hotel expenses and this will take place somewhere in March next year.

We have to go through an application process and finance professors will sit down and decide. my only concern: how much interaction can I get with buffett with like 30 other people around? and how much insight can i truly squeeze out of him that i can't get by reading his interviews and stuff?

would you take the chance and apply?

 
Best Response

I'd personally opt out, though it depends on how much the expenses mean to you. If it is going to put you in the red, I doubt the trip is worth it. As neutralnuke said, the experience would be great as a conversational topic but I don't think you'll really get to an opportunity to gain any real pearls of wisdom. Of course, there is always the chance that Buffet may be pulling a Willy Wonka and be looking to give ownership of Berkshire Hathaway to one lucky protégé, in which case you should definitely buy a ticket.

~~~~~~~~~~~ CompBanker

CompBanker’s Career Guidance Services: https://www.rossettiadvisors.com/
 

Buffett does this often. I actually got the chance to meet him at Gorat's two years ago. He took us all out, haha. And our school paid for a select group of us to go. It was fantastic. You'd be surprised at how much he'll talk about. He talked about his planned investment in Marmon Holdings, before the press releases had cleared and the news went public. Nobody could make money off it, but he does talk beyond his usual interview points.

If you can afford it, I'd definitely do it.

 

I think this is an opportunity of a lifetime. How many people can say they have met Warren Buffet? Not only do you get an opportunity to learn from one of the greatest investors of all time but you also created a great topic for future interviews and networking events.

 

I've been on a similar trip (with a much larger group ~70).

From a cold, dollars & cents, cost/benefit perspective - it's probably not worth it. I don't have the trip on my resume, and I don't think I've ever discussed it in an interview.

But from a personal interest perspective - it was incredibly worthwhile, and I'd do it again in a second. Buffett is the most interesting + intelligent person I've ever met (and I've been lucky enough to meet some crazy folks like Bill Gates). And seeing his folksy enterprise in Omaha definitely changes your perception of what it means to be a billionaire.

Also, at least for me, the trip wasn't very expensive. Something like ~$400... but we may have lucked out on airfare.

 

I wouldn't expect too much direct interaction, but overall I'd go if your financial situation allows.

Our school sent people in the Investment Club and they all raved about it. He spent a pretty considerable amount of time with the group and apparently gave very thoughtful, honest answers.

If you're looking at it as an opportunity to make money somehow you'll be disappointed. But if you can afford a few hundred dollars to go see everything and spend some interesting time with Warren Buffet I'd definitely do it.

twitter: @CorpFin_Guy
 

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