Rational Speculation

Omaha hosts Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholder meeting this weekend, an event that grows in popularity every year. The news surrounding this meeting got me to thinking..

We individual investors truly admire Warren Buffett. I’m sure it’s not only because of his enduring investment successes, but partly because we all see him as someone with whom we can identify. We admire that he’s not caught up with the excesses many other of the extremely rich are caught up in, such as multiple mansions, cars, yachts, or the ever infamous $6,000.00 shower curtain. He’s about as honest, forthcoming, unassuming and unpretentious as they come.

Like every other investor out there, I too admire Warren Buffett. But, there happens to be another, less well-known, successful long-term investor with whom I can identify even more. Someone whose qualities I admire even more than Warren Buffett’s.

Nope, it’s not Peter Lynch, George Soros, Rupert Murdoch, Benjamin Graham, or even Donald Trump. It’s someone who’s overcome tremendous odds to become successful, someone who lives frugally, but someone who finds happiness with the simple things in life… someone like me.

It’s time to visit the “other” Warren Buffett, the investor that every average individual American can identify with. Someone who can truly make you believe that you can succeed.

It’s time we re-visit my hero, Mr. Earl Crawley.