OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Tens of thousands of investors are expected to once again descend on an Omaha, Nebraska, arena Saturday to vacuum up tidbits of wisdom from billionaire Warren Buffett. But a key ingredient will be missing from his annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholders’ meeting: It's the first since Vice Chairman Charlie Munger died.
For decades, Munger shared the stage with Buffett every year for the marathon question and answer session that is the event's centerpiece. Munger routinely let Buffett take the lead with expansive responses that went on for several minutes. Then Munger himself would cut directly to the point. He is remembered for calling cryptocurrencies stupid, telling people to “marry the best person that will have you” and comparing many unproven internet businesses in 2000 to “turds.”
He and Buffett functioned as a classic comedy duo, with Buffett offering lengthy setups to Munger's witty one-liners. Together, they transformed Berkshire from a floundering textile mill into a massive conglomerate made up of a variety of interests, from insurance companies such as Geico to BNSF railroad to several major utilities and an assortment of other companies.