Origin Story: Warren Buffet

Warren Buffett is a legend for many reasons.  Foremost among them might be that he's one of the few investors who clearly has an edge ... and has for a long time. 

From 1976 to 2017, his Sharpe ratio (excess return relative to risk) was approximately double the overall market.  He even did well in 2021.  Berkshire Hathaway now has almost a trillion in assets (up from $700 billion in 2019) – and is still performing well. 

While many people consider Buffett to be an investor, I also consider him to be an entrepreneur.

At the age of six, he started selling gum door to door.  Obviously, selling gum wasn't the key to his path to riches.  So, how did he make his first million?  Here's a video that explains it.

 

via Coolnimation

He made his first million at age 30 (in 1960).  For context, a million dollars in 1960 would be worth about $8.5 million today.

Buffet has always been honest about his bread-and-butter "trick" ...  he buys quality companies at a discount and holds on to them.

It is fascinating to recognize how much the world has changed – and yet how much it has stayed the same.

For extra viewing: Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger, and Bill Gates recently did a full 2-hour interview with CNBC.  You can watch it here.