Lunch on Mr. Buffett! Yes, indeed, the Oracle of Omaha invited the entire crew of 150+ students and faculty for a bite at his local favorite. One of our MBA students, Donald Rome, had the opportunity to ride in Mr. Buffett's Cadillac. Talk about service...being driven around by Mr. Buffett himself! The lunch provided a chance for our students to mingle with those of the other schools, compare notes, exchange stories, and make plans for a meet-up later in the evening. After lunch, Mr. Buffett made himself available for INDIVIDUAL pictures with all students...incredible! What a privilege, and everyone appreciated the photo op (as you can see by some of the postings of our students posing with Mr. Buffett).
Fueled by food, students bid "Adieu" to Mr. Buffett with great gratitude...and the UM students got a Griz hat on his head (Go Griz!). The last order of the day was a visit to Borsheim's, Mr. Buffett's jewelery store acquired in 1989. CEO Susan Jacques, welcomed us to the retail location on the outskirts of downtown Omaha, and proceeded to give us insights into the business, its role in the Berkshire Hathaway portfolio, and Mr. Buffett's involvement (yes, he helps out with retail sales at the annual shareholder's meeting).
After a packed day of activities and meetings, our students headed back to the hotel for a quick breather...and then, to dinner to digest the memories of the day. I think it's safe to say that, for some time to come, many of us will chew over the information and observations gained over the course of the day. What a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity...thank you, Mr. Buffett.
I am super impressed by MT. Buffett's stamina and personality - he spent a total of 5 hours with the students answering their questions and taking pictures with them, being both very informative and quite entertaining. We have many amazing pictures to share with you - as soon as Stephen downloads them from his super camera. The picture you see here are taken with a modest phone camera...
ReplyDeleteI was too impressed with both his physical and intellectual energy. During the Q&A session he answered all questions thoughtfully and enthusiastically. He is really still quite the powerhouse!
ReplyDeleteHaving a front row seat with such a dynamic speaker and living legend was a great privilege that I will not soon be able to repeat. Everyone's questions to Mr. Buffet were very well thought out and I know that I would not have been able to answer with the intellegence and poise that he did, even at half his age! The University of Montana was well represented by this group and I was very proud to be a part of it. Both of our questions challenged Mr. Buffet and gave us useful insights to take home.
ReplyDeleteI was really excited when he chose a student from Montana to be one of his passengers on the way to Piccolo Pete's, even though I was not chosen to be that person, because I knew there was a reason he chose the school's he did. He was pleased by our creativity and tenacity, and you could see that in his face when he answered our question.
Warren is a true Sage and innovator in his realm, who will be missed when he finally is gone. I got a true sense of his mortality when he stood in front of us and you could see the wrinkles on his face, and the white in his hair. He is an 80 year old man, even though his mind doesn't show it. I only can hope that his body holds up long enough that others get to share this experience in the years to come.
Was blown away that all the stories of humility and demeanor were all true! Was proud to be from MT as our questions seemed to challenge him the most and were of the most value i think to us as future business men and women. Go MT !!!
ReplyDeleteBeing a passenger in Mr. Buffett's car was quite an experience. He continued to be completely genuine and humble. Including his story on how he ended up with a Cadillac. I will tell you this much, it is not because he needed a new car. On many occasions, he reminded us that his old car only had 14,000 miles on it. However, it was a time that his friend and GM needed support. I think Mr. Buffett is a great friend to have.
ReplyDeleteI was also impressed that he took the time to ask each of us in the car about our interests and where we saw ourselves in 10 years. After we shared he would provide advice and sage wisdom.
It was great to see that Mr. Buffett is really who he portrays himself to be. His message was very consistent from what we read about him.
ReplyDeleteOf course, his sense of humor shined through many of his answers and explainations which was especially appreciated!
I hope that I enjoy my career half as much as he has!
I enjoyed the photo session a lot. Warren showed his playful side. He took pictures in various poses with students, from putting Donald in a headlock to kneeling down in front of Tessa or holding his wallet with Casey. He was perfectly patient the whole time. He did not look as if he was working hard.
ReplyDeleteThe lunch was great. I sat with some professors and students from the University of Maryland. Delightful people. We exchanged ideas about our programs and chit-chatted about our lives. I had lots of fun.