Is there anyone living you would pay $16k to eat lunch with?

[Ulysses]

gonores,

That's a pretty silly post. Makes you sound both arrogant and ignorant, imo.

You vastly overestimate how much you're going to take away from a lunch w/ Buffett.

You will get far more out of reading and studying his writings/actions than having lunch with him.

It's not like you're going to have lunch and he'll be like "well, gonores, here's my tip. My team has been working hard analyzing every company around and CRUNK!!! Energy Drink is definitely going to be the next Coca-Cola. Get in now!!!!!"

Edited to add: If this were something like 16k to be an intern/assistant to Buffett for a year, whole different ballgame.

[Gunny Highway]

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You vastly overestimate how much you're going to take away from a lunch w/ Buffett.

You will get far more out of reading and studying his writings/actions than having lunch with him.

It's not like you're going to have lunch and he'll be like "well, gonores, here's my tip.

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You might be underestimating what you can learn from him in an hour or two, El D. Also, i think a stock tip is part of the lunch thing. [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

[LearnedfromTV]

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For me, it'd be a no-brainer. With the basic investing sense I already have and my current net worth, combined with future earnings potential, I'd know how to get my $16k worth out of that lunch.

I guess I may have overestimated how many people would be making a +EV decision by eating lunch with Buffett, but if you knew what to ask him and what to do with his answers, you don't need much in terms of assets to make him worth your while. There are a lot of smart people who work very hard to make sure Mr. Buffett's money is well-invested. I definitely think the work put into those decisions, combined with Buffett's knowledge and hard work is worth more than 16k.

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This was my first thought too. There was a charity auction a while back that got way more than 16K, by the way.

Also, whoever said "just read the Intelligent Investor, it has his whole investment philosophy" is *far* from correct

Which is not to say that the lunch would be worth 16K unless you have significantly more than 16K in investable assets. Like several hundred thousand at the minimum. I'm sure an hour conversation could make you a notch or two better as an investor, if you already know what you are doing and ask the right questions, but it's not like he's giving away a monster tip or a magic formula. Anyone who has followed his career should know that.

My answer to the OP is no one. If i had a couple million, there might be a few.

[Ulysses]

L4TV,

What exactly are you going to get out of this lunch that will make it worth the 16k?

Edited to add: The reason people pay that much in a charity auction to have lunch w/ Buffett is to give to charity and get a tax deduction and have lunch w/ Buffett, not to get 16k+ worth of investment advice.

Edited again after L4TV's edit to add: If an hour lunch makes you a notch or two better investor, then you were probably a pretty crappy investor to begin with and it is highly unlikely you would really be able to take advantage of whatever information he is discussing.

[Evan]

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For me, it'd be a no-brainer. With the basic investing sense I already have and my current net worth, combined with future earnings potential, I'd know how to get my $16k worth out of that lunch.

I guess I may have overestimated how many people would be making a +EV decision by eating lunch with Buffett, but if you knew what to ask him and what to do with his answers, you don't need much in terms of assets to make him worth your while. There are a lot of smart people who work very hard to make sure Mr. Buffett's money is well-invested. I definitely think the work put into those decisions, combined with Buffett's knowledge and hard work is worth more than 16k.

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This was my first thought too. There was a charity auction a while back that got way more than 16K, by the way.

Also, whoever said "just read the Intelligent Investor, it has his whole investment philosophy" is *far* from correct

Which is not to say that the lunch would be worth 16K unless you have significantly more than 16K in investable assets. Like several hundred thousand at the minimum. I'm sure an hour conversation could make you a notch or two better as an investor, if you already know what you are doing and ask the right questions, but it's not like he's giving away a monster tip or a magic formula. Anyone who has followed his career should know that.

My answer to the OP is no one. If i had a couple million, there might be a few.

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The things Buffett would tell you wouldn't be anything ground breaking. I think a good analogy would be if you wanted to have lunch with Barry Bonds and thought it would make you a great hitter. There's no secret to how you hit a baseball, it's just a matter of how good you are at doing those things.

[ohnonotthat]

had high hopes for this thread.

I missed the TV report that began all this but I think it's safe to say that the OP was asking whether there was anyone so INTERESTING you'd pay 16k for an hour of his/her time. Correct me if I'm wrong here but I don't think this was intended to become a "who could I PROFIT ($$$) from enough in an hour to make a 16k expenditure +EV".

Assuming my lunch companion were to be 99.9% forthcoming in his/her responses (assuming my questions were appropriate) I would - in no particular order - cough up the fee for the following . . .



Peter Kramer (Author of Listening to Prozac + at least one other book)

My fiance's grandmother (You would too if you knew her)

Doyle Brunson (This adheres to the rules since IMHO he has little to offer these days re. strategy)

The Dalai Lama (I only inserted this name in the middle of the list so as not to have it sound as if I were [obnoxiously] saying, "do any of you imbeciles ever have a thought that is deeper than a puddle" ?)

Tony Blair (brilliant man whether you agree with his politics or think him a freak in this arena)

Bill OR Hillary Clinton (in the case of the latter it would be worth the fee just to see what it's like for a nose to grow right before my eyes - that said, both are obscenely brilliant, inciteful individuals)

David S. (noted poker author though it's unlikely the conversation would ever touch on poker)

- Killed me to add that one, I REALLY dislike being viewed as a suck-up.

*

I suddenly realize there are far too many to name; if you'll all excuse me I need to run out and buy some lottery tickets. At 16k/per I'll never earn enough money to dine with all those whom I'd like to spend an hour with.





Note that there are several people on this list with whom I can dine anytime I wish (most will even grab the check). I chose to answer the question in terms of whose company/insight is WORTH 16k for an hour's worth - even if I can (and do) get said company for free whenever I want it.

[Blarg]

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Sorry to come up with the right answer and ruin your thread.

Warren Buffett

Lunch with him would be worth $16k to practically everyone on this board (assuming you would be smart enough to listen to him)...easily.

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I couldn't afford to buy even one share of Berkshire Hathaway. His advice would be of minimal use to me.

[Gunny Highway]

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Sorry to come up with the right answer and ruin your thread.

Warren Buffett

Lunch with him would be worth $16k to practically everyone on this board (assuming you would be smart enough to listen to him)...easily.

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They auction off lunch with him for charity every year, and it goes for a a bit more than $16k. $250k if I remember right.

[eviljeff]

Clarkmeister.

[Ed Miller]

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Clarkmeister.

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I can broker this one for a mere 10% commission. PM me.