The Buffett Blog

Warren on the phone and Julian on the screen....

Mr. Buffett talks to CNBC about the markets, energy prices, GenRe, trade with China and the Glide charity auction.

On GenRe "It is costing us money, and it will cost us more money as the investigation is pursued."

Check out Glide here.

Julian Robertson is quite bearish in another CNBC interview. "I am more disturbed than I have ever been in my investment life about what lies ahead..." (Fortunately, no sign of Boodell getting coffee in the background....)

Business Week reports that Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth William F. Galvin is turning up the heat in his investigation of the Goldman Sachs fairness opinion used to justify the G / PG deal. Sounds like somone is jealous of Spitzer getting all the attention. Although his concern about the inherent conflicts in investment banks issuing fairness opinions for their clients is warranted, he picked a funny deal to single out. (See the overvalued stock deals done with internet currency circa 1999.) If Buffett is on your side of the table, you can bet your getting a fair deal. On the other hand, $450 million for the Gillette execs does seem a tad excessive...

http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/jun2005/nf20050616_1121_db016.htm

Notes from our meeting with Warren coming soon….really. Onto the news….More bidding on EBAY for lunch with Warren – Join the GSB Buffett Group and you may just get it for free. (Or the cost of a plane ticket to Omaha). From thestreet.com, another shoddy article on the Berkshire dollar short position. (Why is it that journalists seem to think that Berkshire is only holding euros – when we know that he has significant Australia and New Zealand exposure, and probably the Pound as well?) And Bloomberg News offers this quote “Berkshire Hathaway is probably the riskiest company in America today because it's one heartbeat away from a substantial diminution in value." Right. Bono meets with Warren and gets great advice, 'Don't appeal to the conscience of America, appeal to its greatness, and I think you'll get the job done'. Julius Baer acquisition rumors floating around too, although conflicts of interest seem to make it an unlikely candidate.

Cost of lunch with Buffett: $250,000. Stock tips: priceless

Globe and Mail, Canada
An annual auction of lunch with billionaire investor Warren Buffett will begin next week on eBay Inc.'s website, with proceeds going to a San Francisco church ...

How Buffett Tripped Over the Dollar

TheStreet.com
... spendthrift US as a safe haven for financial assets in a tumultuous world, investors worldwide -- led by noted Nebraska sourpuss Warren Buffett -- heaped scorn .

Bono talks of US crusade
Guardian Unlimited, UK
... win American hearts and minds around to his crusade on Africa came from an altogether less expected source: the legendary stock market investor Warren Buffett. ...

Probe shrinks Buffett premium
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, PA
... Buffett himself, consulting with Vice Chairman Charlie Munger, 81, makes most decisions on Berkshire's capital investments, according to Berkshire's latest ...

Talk Links Berkshire Hathaway To Julius Baer
New Ratings
Speculation floating around London trading floors is that Berkshire Hathaway (BRKA) is taking a gander at Julius Baer. The private ...