Warren Buffett Speaks: Wit and Wisdom from the World’s Greatest Investor

Chapter . About Life

When Warren Buffett speaks on stock markets, business ethics, or the price of corn in Nebraska, ears perk up all over the world. His words often have relevance beyond the immediate issue. They bring forth an “Ah ha!” or “Of course!” Buffett’s comments seem to touch many aspects of our lives. Though he ranks among the wealthiest people in the world, his friend Charlie Munger says that Buffett also is one of the happiest people he knows. Before reading what Buffett has to say about successful investing, let’s see what he says about the more important subjects of living productively and being content.

Omaha? Omawhere? Omawhat?

Warren Buffett—or “Fireball,” as his dad called him—spent his early years attending public school in Omaha. When his father, Howard Buffett, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, the family moved to the nation’s capital. Young Warren pined to go back home:

“I was miserably homesick. I told my parents I couldn’t breathe when lying down. I told them not to worry about it, to get a good night’s sleep themselves, and I’d just stand up all night.”

Eventually, 12-year-old Warren was allowed to return to Omaha to live with his grandfather until the end of the school term.^[1] Clearly, Warren agreed with those who call it the “beautiful island of Omaw-hah.”

Buffett later attended Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and graduate school at Columbia University. He worked for the Graham-Newman Company in New York; but in ...