When Warren Buffett thinks about the Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A)(NYSE: BRK-B) annual meeting, there's one thing that's front-and-center in his mind: Shopping.
In the massive CenturyLink Center exhibit hall, Berkshire Hathaway companies set up shop for the thousands of Berkshire shareholders that flock to Omaha for the meeting. The amount of commerce that goes on is not insignificant.
Here's what Buffett wrote about the 2013 annual meeting:
In a nine-hour period, we sold 1,062 pairs of Justin boots (that's a pair every 32 seconds), 12,792 pounds of See's candy, 11,162 Quikut knives (21 knives per minute) and 6,344 pairs of Wells Lamont gloves, always a hot item.
To close out my interview with Kase Capital's managing partner, Whitney Tilson, I asked what was in his Berkshire-meeting shopping bag. Among other things: Two Berkshire-related books that even many of the Berkshire faithful may not have read yet.
The books were:
- The Women of Berkshire Hathaway - "an in-depth look at the women who have risen to the top in a decidedly male-centric industry"
- Dream Big: How the Brazilian Trio Behind 3G Capital Acquired Anheuser-Busch, Burger King, and Heinz - "a detailed behind-the-scenes portrait of the meteoric rise of these three businessmen"
In the video below, Tilson talks about both books, along with his other Berkshire-meeting purchases. A transcript follows the video.
Tilson: Yes, I always pick up some See's candy, which is my favorite. I picked up a nice new Berkshire Hathaway white polo shirt -- I play tennis -- and then I picked up two books; one, the book I showed you earlier, about the 3G guys who Buffett partnered with to buy Heinz, and another book that I wasn't even aware was out, about the women at Berkshire Hathaway.
My wife was here at the annual meeting last year and asked a question. I have three daughters and she said, "Mr. Buffett, Mr. Munger, I've got three daughters and I want them to be able to do anything in life. When I look at the top of corporate America, I don't see very many women. Is there a glass ceiling? Is this a problem, and what should we do about it?"
Buffett really engaged on this issue. I just noticed in the annual meeting film this morning, where they have pictures of all the Berkshire Hathaway CEOs, now a handful are women. Buffett is trying to be a leader in this area, so I'm really looking forward to reading this book to learn more about the women who have risen to the top of Berkshire Hathaway. Maybe if I like it, I'll have my wife and daughters read it.
Koppenheffer: Whitney Tilson, managing partner of Kase Capital, thanks again for joining us today.
Tilson: My pleasure.
