Warren Buffett's Last Letter to Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders: Five Golden Quotes, from Secrets to Longevity to How to Treat Others

Warren E. Buffett, the stock god, wrote a Thanksgiving letter to Berkshire shareholders recently. He stated that he will no longer write the annual report for Berkshire as he is about to retire, but he will continue to chat with everyone through his Thanksgiving letter. Dedicated to charity, he also announced that he will convert 1,800 Class A shares into 2,700,000 Class B shares and donate these shares to four family foundations. At the end of the year, he will hand over the company to Greg Abel. Below are the five key quotes from Buffett's Thanksgiving letter.

Charlie Munger is Buffett's teacher and also his elder brother, who never says: I told you long ago.

In Charlie Munger's dictionary, there is no “I told you so.”

Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger have had a friendship lasting sixty-four years. In fact, they grew up in the same community. In the summer of 1940, Charlie Munger even worked at Buffett's grandfather's grocery store, but the two did not meet for the first time until 1959, when Munger was 35 years old and Buffett was 28. Buffett stated that Munger has had a huge influence on him; he is both a teacher and a protective older brother. They have their differences but have never argued.

The author adds: Many investment influencers use “I already told you” to create FOMO in the community, but Charlie Munger has never done that.

Warren Buffett humorously talks about the secret to longevity: avoid banana peels every day.

“Living a long life requires a lot of luck, as you have to avoid banana peels, natural disasters, drunk driving or distracted driving, lightning strikes, and all sorts of misfortunes every day.”

Warren Buffett is already 95 years old, but he says his genes are actually average, with a family longevity record of only 92 years. He has come close to losing his life three times, but was saved by a group of doctors in Omaha. As for the secret to longevity, he jokingly says that being able to live to such an old age is absolutely due to luck, as he dodges banana peels, drunk drivers, lightning, and disasters every day.

At the same time, he also felt that the goddess of luck was extremely biased. Many leaders and the wealthy received luck far beyond what they deserved, yet were unwilling to acknowledge it. Others, born into hellish environments, or tormented by physical and mental illnesses. He said that if he were born in many densely populated areas of the world, his life would mostly be miserable, and his two sisters would fare worse. He also feels that the goddess of luck has almost stopped visiting him, while Father Time has begun to show interest in him. When balance, vision, hearing, and memory begin to decline, you know he has arrived.

Think about how you want people to remember you after you die, and then strive to become that person.

“Don't blame yourself for past mistakes; at least learn some lessons from them and move forward. It's never too late.”

Most of Buffett's wealth was accumulated after the age of 60, and he also stated that his satisfaction with the second half of his life is higher than that of the first half. He cited the story of Nobel Prize founder Alfred Nobel as an example, where a newspaper mistakenly published his obituary when his brother passed away. He was very shocked when he read the obituary and realized that he should start making changes. Buffett encourages everyone to think about what they would like to see written in their obituary and then live a life that is worthy of it.

Doing good has no cost, yet it is priceless.

“Greatness does not come from accumulating vast wealth, gaining great fame, or wielding governmental power.”

When you help others in any way, you are helping the world. Kindness is costless, yet priceless. Whether you believe in religion or not, the best code of conduct is still to not impose on others what you do not want yourself.

Even the stock god makes mistakes, Buffett: The chairman and the cleaning lady are both ordinary people.

“Please remember, cleaning workers and chairpersons are both ordinary people.”

Buffett stated that he wrote these words because he had also pondered carelessly countless times. Although regarded as a model investor and philanthropist, he has made many mistakes, but he has also been fortunate to learn how to be a person from some great friends, and he also said that he is still far from perfect.

Buffett: Choose your heroes wisely, then emulate them.

In the end, Buffett still wishes everyone a happy Thanksgiving, reminding us to be thankful to America for providing the greatest opportunities. But don't forget, the way this country distributes rewards is both random and not always fair. Choose your heroes wisely, and then emulate them. You will never be perfect, but you can always be better.

This article is about Warren Buffett, the oracle of Omaha, closing his pen with the Berkshire Hathaway shareholder letter: Five key quotes, from secrets to longevity to dealing with people, first appeared in Chain News ABMedia.