Berkshire Hathaway 2008 Annual Report Download - page 24

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Finally, we will have three fascinating cars on the exhibition floor, including one from the past and one
of the future. Paul Andrews, CEO of our subsidiary, TTI, will bring his 1935 Duesenberg, a car that once
belonged to Mrs. Forrest Mars, Sr., parent and grandparent of our new partners in the Wrigley purchase. The
future will be represented by a new plug-in electric car developed by BYD, an amazing Chinese company in
which we have a 10% interest.
An attachment to the proxy material that is enclosed with this report explains how you can obtain the
credential you will need for admission to the meeting and other events. As for plane, hotel and car reservations,
we have again signed up American Express (800-799-6634) to give you special help. Carol Pedersen, who
handles these matters, does a terrific job for us each year, and I thank her for it. Hotel rooms can be hard to find,
but work with Carol and you will get one.
At Nebraska Furniture Mart, located on a 77-acre site on 72nd Street between Dodge and Pacific, we
will again be having “Berkshire Weekend” discount pricing. We initiated this special event at NFM twelve years
ago, and sales during the “Weekend” grew from $5.3 million in 1997 to a record $33.3 million in 2008. On
Saturday of that weekend, we also set a single day record of $7.2 million. Ask any retailer what he thinks of such
volume.
To obtain the Berkshire discount, you must make your purchases between Thursday, April 30th and
Monday, May 4th inclusive, and also present your meeting credential. The period’s special pricing will even
apply to the products of several prestigious manufacturers that normally have ironclad rules against discounting
but which, in the spirit of our shareholder weekend, have made an exception for you. We appreciate their
cooperation. NFM is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
On Saturday this year, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., NFM is having a western cookout to which you are all invited.
At Borsheims, we will again have two shareholder-only events. The first will be a cocktail reception
from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, May 1st. The second, the main gala, will be held on Sunday, May 3rd, from 9
a.m. to 4 p.m. On Saturday, we will be open until 6 p.m.
We will have huge crowds at Borsheims throughout the weekend. For your convenience, therefore,
shareholder prices will be available from Monday, April 27th through Saturday, May 9th. During that period,
please identify yourself as a shareholder by presenting your meeting credentials or a brokerage statement that
shows you are a Berkshire holder.
On Sunday, in the mall outside of Borsheims, a blindfolded Patrick Wolff, twice U.S. chess champion,
will take on all comers – who will have their eyes wide open – in groups of six. Nearby, Norman Beck, a
remarkable magician from Dallas, will bewilder onlookers. Additionally, we will have Bob Hamman and Sharon
Osberg, two of the world’s top bridge experts, available to play bridge with our shareholders on Sunday
afternoon.
Gorat’s will again be open exclusively for Berkshire shareholders on Sunday, May 3rd, and will be
serving from 1 p.m. until 10 p.m. Last year Gorat’s, which seats 240, served 975 dinners on Shareholder Sunday.
The three-day total was 2,448 including 702 T-bone steaks, the entrée preferred by the cognoscenti. Please don’t
embarrass me by ordering foie gras. Remember: To come to Gorat’s on that day, you must have a reservation. To
make one, call 402-551-3733 on April 1st (but not before).
We will again have a reception at 4 p.m. on Saturday afternoon for shareholders who have come from
outside North America. Every year our meeting draws many people from around the globe, and Charlie and I
want to be sure we personally greet those who have come so far. Last year we enjoyed meeting more than 700 of
you from many dozens of countries. Any shareholder who comes from outside the U.S. or Canada will be given a
special credential and instructions for attending this function.
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