Berkshire Hathaway 2012 Annual Report Download - page 25

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If you are a big spender – or aspire to become one – visit Signature Aviation on the east side of the Omaha
airport between noon and 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. There we will have a fleet of NetJets aircraft that will get your
pulse racing. Come by bus; leave by private jet. Live a little.
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. Airlines have sometimes jacked up prices
for the Berkshire weekend. If you are coming from far away, compare the cost of flying to Kansas City versus
Omaha. The drive between the two cities is about 2
1
⁄
2
hours, and it may be that you can save significant money,
particularly if you had planned to rent a car in Omaha. Spend the savings with us.
At Nebraska Furniture Mart, located on a 77-acre site on 72
nd
Street between Dodge and Pacific, we will
again be having “Berkshire Weekend” discount pricing. Last year the store did $35.9 million of business during its
annual meeting sale, an all-time record that makes other retailers turn green. To obtain the Berkshire discount, you
must make your purchases between Tuesday, April 30
th
and Monday, May 6
th
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 picnic
to which you are all invited.
At Borsheims, we will again have two shareholder-only events. The first will be a cocktail reception from
6p.m.to9p.m.onFriday,May3
rd. The second, the main gala, will be held on Sunday, May 5th, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
On Saturday, we will be open until 6 p.m. In recent years, our three-day volume has far exceeded sales in all of
December, normally a jeweler’s best month.
Around 1 p.m. on Sunday, I will begin clerking at Borsheims. Last year my sales totaled $1.5 million.
This year I won’t quit until I hit $2 million. Because I need to leave well before sundown, I will be desperate to do
business. Come take advantage of me. Ask for my “Crazy Warren” price.
We will have huge crowds at Borsheims throughout the weekend. For your convenience, therefore,
shareholder prices will be available from Monday, April 29
th
through Saturday, May 11
th
. 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. Don’t play
them for money.
Gorat’s and Piccolo’s will again be open exclusively for Berkshire shareholders on Sunday, May 5th. Both
will be serving until 10 p.m., with Gorat’s opening at 1 p.m. and Piccolo’s opening at 4 p.m. These restaurants are
my favorites, and I will eat at both of them on Sunday evening. Remember: To make a reservation at Gorat’s, call
402-551-3733 on April 1st (but not before) and at Piccolo’s call 402-342-9038. At Piccolo’s, order a giant root beer
float for dessert. Only sissies get the small one. (I once saw Bill Gates polish off two of the giant variety after a
full-course dinner; that’s when I knew he would make a great director.)
We will again have the same three financial journalists lead the question-and-answer period at the meeting,
asking Charlie and me questions that shareholders have submitted to them by e-mail. The journalists and their e-mail
addresses are: Carol Loomis, of Fortune, who may be emailed at [email protected]; Becky Quick, of CNBC,
at [email protected], and Andrew Ross Sorkin, of The New York Times, at [email protected].
23