Berkshire Hathaway 2013 Annual Report Download - page 25

About 1:15 p.m. on Sunday, I will begin clerking at Borsheims. Ask for my “Crazy Warren” quote on the
item of your choice. As I get older, my pricing gets ever more ridiculous. Come take advantage of me.
We will have huge crowds at Borsheims throughout the weekend. For your convenience, therefore,
shareholder prices will be available from Monday, April 28th through Saturday, May 10th. 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.
My friend, Ariel Hsing, will be in the mall as well on Sunday, taking on challengers at table tennis. Last
year, she made Americans – and especially me – proud with her performance at the Olympics.
I met Ariel when she was nine and even then I was unable to score a point against her. Now, she’s a
freshman at Princeton and the U.S. Women’s Champion. If you don’t mind embarrassing yourself, test your skills
against her, beginning at 1 p.m. Bill Gates and I will lead off and try to soften her up.
Gorat’s and Piccolo’s will again be open exclusively for Berkshire shareholders on Sunday, May 4th. 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 for Piccolo’s call 402-342-9038. At Piccolo’s order a giant root beer
float for dessert. Only sissies get the small one.
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 e-mailed at [email protected]; Becky
Quick, of CNBC, at [email protected]; and Andrew Ross Sorkin, of The New York Times, at
[email protected].
From the questions submitted, each journalist will choose the six he or she decides are the most interesting
and important. The journalists have told me your question has the best chance of being selected if you keep it
concise, avoid sending it in at the last moment, make it Berkshire-related and include no more than two questions in
any e-mail you send them. (In your e-mail, let the journalist know if you would like your name mentioned if your
question is selected.)
We will also have a panel of three analysts who follow Berkshire. This year the insurance specialist will
be Jay Gelb of Barclays. Questions that deal with our non-insurance operations will come from Jonathan Brandt of
Ruane, Cunniff & Goldfarb.
And we will again have a credentialed bear on Berkshire. We would like to hear from applicants who are
short Berkshire (please include evidence of your position). The three analysts will bring their own Berkshire-
specific questions and alternate with the journalists and the audience in asking them.
Charlie and I believe that all shareholders should have access to new Berkshire information
simultaneously and should also have adequate time to analyze it. That’s why we try to issue financial information
late on Fridays or early on Saturdays and why our annual meeting is held on Saturdays. We do not talk one-on-one
to large institutional investors or analysts, but rather treat all shareholders the same. Our hope is that the journalists
and analysts will ask questions that further educate our owners about their investment.
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