It’s always a ‘Must’ read every year….Living Investment Guru,Warren E Buffett’s Annual Letter to his shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway….his insights,his ‘packing a punch’ at many issues,his confessions,his core heartwarming values,his demystifying the rationale for his investment decisions,his philosophy and his fabulous sense of humour…and he’s all of 79!

Warren E Buffett has never authored a Book…does he need to!…If ever there was a Nobel Prize for Financial Journalism,his Annual Letter would be the Winner every year !

Access his latest one of February 26,2010 below

 http://www.berkshirehathaway.com/letters/2009ltr.pdf

….and I’m sure you’ll want to become a Shareholder of BH to access the Annual Meet which Buffett himself bills as the ‘Woodstock of Capitalists’!…it’s traditionally held on the First Saturday in May….this year it’s on May 1,2010

Mind you it’s BH share is not cheap….One Original ‘A’ Common Stock is quoted at US $ 124080 !…that’s Rs 57 lakh or Rs 5.7 Million Rupees (US $ 1=Rs 46)….To make it affordable BH issues in 1996 the ‘B’ Common Stock which was prescribed by BH to be valued at 1/30th of the ‘A’ Share but carried only 1/200th of Voting Rights

Interestingly on November 3,2009,BH passed a resolution to splt the ‘B’ Share 50:1 ratio to facilitate small shareholders of Burlington Northern Santa Fe to get the BH ‘B’ share in the acquisition deal,should they opt for it…..This has resulted in the Share Quotation of the ‘B’ Share to be under US $ 83 yesterday (just Rs 3800)…this computes to a pre-split share price of US $ 4150 (Rs 1.91 lakhs)

In 1981,there were just 12 shareholders who attended the Omaha Meet…In 2009 there were 35000 who did !…This year they obviously expect much more….Both ‘A’ and ‘B’ Shareholders get the Annual Report and an Invite coupon attached with it for the Annual meet…they need to fill it and send it back to BH…and within a week their Credentials will arrive for the Meet…As I’ve said,the Meet is always held on the first Saturday in May…this year it’s May 1,2010…and the Report is send to shareholders as on Record Date ,which is normally 60 days before the Meet Date…It takes three days to register you as the shareholder from your date of purchase…so play it safe and buy the BH share by the third week of Feb if you intend attending the BH Meet that year…you will receive the Report early March and can initiate the process to attend the Meet

For a die hard Value Investor,Omaha is the ‘Mecca’…even for others,it would be an experience worth experiencing….So begin Planning to be in Omaha on Saturday May 7, 2011 now !

Cheers !

Two Years ago,I read Richard Branson’s Quick Read and Lessons in Life “Screw It,Let’s Do It”

You Must read it too !..The Quick Read version is just Rs 150…ask your bookstore for a discount…the extended version a little more

I was floored…I have to admit that I changed my opinion of him…from an eccentric,lady killer,unethical go-getter and a carpetbagger to one who has a conscience and is a big and exciting risk taker by choice…and one who lives Life to the Full

I actually bought several copies and distributed it to clients and friends and relatives…It has been reprinted seven times in 2006 and thrice in  2007 to meet the demand !

Recently I again rewarded some participants ,for their interaction in my workshops, with it.

What also got me was that Richard and I have something in Common…we’ve both cheated Death Thrice !…Difference being he did so out of Choice…a Powerboat race across the Atlantic and two hot air balloon adventures across the Atlantic and the Pacific….. and me out of Tragic Chance…Bomb Blast at the BSE,trapped in the Worst Sandstorm in the Sahara Desert in Egypt and a near tragic Car Accident !

But this is about Richard Branson……

Richard Branson tried Crossing the Atlantic to Ireland to win the ‘Blue Riband’ on the Virgin Atlantic Challenger while Joan was delivering their first son…The son was born,but Richard’s Powerboat died on him with the hull splitting in a fierce storm and all of the crew being rescued of the raft after radioing out “Mayday ! Mayday! Mayday!”…he came back six years later in Virgin Atlantic Challenger II….but with sea water entering their fuel tanks and the engines stalling it looked like they had lost again….Richard Branson motivated his crew for one last try and somehow got the engines working and they won…Keep Trying and Never Give Up was his Big Lesson from this Adventure

Immediately he was challenged to cross the Atlantic yet again by a Swede, Per Lindstrand…but this time together in a Hot Air Balloon…He accepted after learning Per had two kids too !….He took lessons in Flying the Hot Air Balloon in Spain….They actually crossed the Atlantic to Ireland…but had serious landing Issues..When they flew into a thick Fog and missed the Beach,Per panicked and jumped into the ice cold waters…with only Richard’s weight to tackle,the ballon simply flew away higher..Fuel was low,Radio was not working and Richard weighed his options…he could parachute out into the ice cold ocean or stay put and while he was alive work out something…he chose the latter and was saved by a rescue helicopter…They pulled out Per from the Sea just before he would have froze to death…..Lessons learnt were several….Never Give Up….If you want to do something,just do it…prepare well…. have faith in yourself…help each other….Whatever your Goal,you’ll never succeed unless you let go of your fears and fly…Love your Family….Richard knew that he could die on this Adventure…so before he took it,he wrote a letter to his children saying “Live Life to the Full.Enjoy every minute of it.Love and look after Mum.”

Next Richard and Per embarked on a Hot Air Balloon to cross 8000 miles over the Pacific Ocean from Japan to America….This was an even more riskier journey than the one they had done before…As you can imagine,they faced challenges that threatened their Life…they finally landed in the wilderness of Canada and it took eight hours to rescue them…but they had done it ! 

“Life is too short to be unhappy”.Read the Book to find out how Richard’s enterprising mind gave birth to Virgin Music and what inspired Virgin Airlines,Virgin Trains and now Virgin Galactica…and the most inspiring of all,for me that is,how he finally got his ‘Necker’ island…says Richard “I can make up mind about people and ideas in sixty seconds.I rely more on gut instincts than thick reports.” 

There’s a lot more inspiring stuff in the Book…..Richard calls these Lessons in Life, Simple Truths. It’s written in first person and in a racy style….just go ahead and read it !…and share it with others !

What a lovely Saturday…after hosting a lunch for overseas guests from the Securities Regulator of Stock Markets in Malaysia and Fiji,I caught up with Robin Sharma,one of the world’s top experts on Inspiring Leadership and the author of several bestsellers including “The Monk who sold his Ferrari” and “The Saint,the Surfer and the CEO”….as one close friend quipped when he saw the photo below ” So who’s the Saint and who’s the CEO ! ? “

Robin Sharma was here in Mumbai to launch his latest Book,”The Greatness Guide 2″

He says his best so far is “The Greatness Guide “….I told him that I like “Discover Your Destiny” the most

Some gems from him at the launch……

• At my first public speaking engagement there were 23 people in the audience of whom 21 were my Family Members
• If you have a pulse,you can be a leader and make a difference
• First thing in the Morning after waking,I listen to the silence…light some candles…put on some music
• My Children are my biggest inspiration

Thanks, Robin,  for the Autographs on your books and thanks darling daughter for the Photo.

Cheers !

The simply marvellous author of “The Monk who sold his Ferrari “,Robin Sharma has fast become a leading motivational and inspirational icon in the World today

One of his Books was aptly titled ” Who Will Cry When You Die”

With Equities decimating the World and it’s Investors globally I’m tempted to write ” Who will Buy when You Die ! “

Stark Reality this !…..The US Senate passed the Indo Nuclear Deal by a resounding 86 to 13 Vote on October 1,2008 …..Next Day was Gandhi Jayanti and the USA President,George Bush ratified the Deal….Mahatma Gandhi stood for Ahimsa and Non Violence…was it just a stark coincidence or was it what James Redfield,a modern day thinker, termed as “Synchronicity” in his book “Celestine Prophecy” or was it ” Secrets of Shambala” ?

The contrast of “Nuclear” and “Non Violence” was meant to be juxtaposed like this!

Was reminded this morning, by the Sunday edition of TOI, of a famous quote by Confucius….says he….”Choose a Job you Love and you’ll never have to work a day in your Life”

Hey ! this Blog was born to reflect just this