Once shareholders had packed themselves into the huge Qwest Center stadium (and I do mean packed -- the place is absolutely filled) it was time for the first annual rite of the Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK-A) (NYSE:BRK-B) meeting: the video collage. Among the highlights this year:
Berkstock
With the help of animator Andy Heyward of DiC Entertainment, the first video starred Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger as long-haired hippies who set up a stand selling tie-dye shirts. Among the passers-by were Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) CEO Bill Gates. The toon Buffett helped Joplin with the hook for her classic tune "Piece of My Heart" but was utterly dumbfounded by Gates' software. "Servers," he said. "You mean like waiters in a restaurant?" This performance was a self-effacing reminder to the crowd that the likes of AMD (NYSE:AMD) or even Rule Breakers selection Akamai (NASDAQ:AKAM) have never been for Buffett. He has always held that he simply doesn't understand the technology, and so he won't invest in it.
Folks from two businesses that Buffett has very famously loved then visited him and Charlie at their tie-dye stand. The first was from Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO), Berkshire's largest stock holding, and the second came from See's Candy, an outstanding confectioner business that has made a ton of money for Berkshire and its shareholders over the years.
Buffett the athlete
A few other short clips showed Buffett putting his athletic abilities on display. In the first, the 76-year-old Oracle took on Ariel Hsing, the top U.S. table-tennis player in the 12-year-old age bracket. Hsing made short work of Buffett in a two-point game, but we're told that Buffett-Hsing II will be held tomorrow during a shareholder event at Borsheim's.
A second video centered on having Buffett call his buddy LeBron James, the Cleveland Cavaliers forward who, in real life, has received financial guidance from Buffett. After arguing over whether James should be drinking Buffett's favored Cherry Coke -- the hoops star was instead drinking Powerade, another Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) product -- the two decided to settle it "on the court." Buffett cautioned James to "bring his game" and then took it to LeBron on the court, beating him first in a game of horse, and then in a one-on-one showdown.
The rest
- The gaggle of other videos included a prominent spattering of commercials for Berkshire businesses such as GEICO, NetJets, and Coca-Cola.
- One spot focused on Buffett's visit to Iscar, his recent multibillion-dollar acquisition that's headquartered in Israel, right near the Lebanon border. Speaking about the acquisition, Buffett quips, "Berkshire is going to be here forever, and Iscar is going to be here forever."
- There was a special tribute to GEICO and its former chief executive, the late Lorimer Davidson. This video included excerpts from a video that Lorimer made a year before his death at age 97. In the video, he said, "Warren, keep on doing in the future what you've been doing in the past."
- And we were treated to a remake of the song "My Favorite Things," over which flashed pictures of the Berkshire subsidiary executives. Among the "favorite things" singled out were Berkshire's Ajit Jain, one of Buffett's superstar insurance managers, and Fruit of the Loom underwear, a Berkshire company.
Go back to Matt's original report to keep up with the news as it unfolds from the annual meeting.
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Fool contributor Matt Koppenheffer does not own shares of any of the companies mentioned. You can visit Matt on the Fool's CAPS service, or check out his CAPS blog. The Fool's disclosure policy always enjoys a good Omaha steak.
