Bulletin No. 1, 2015

A Date with Warren Buffett   27  Sharing Life’s Experience Desmond Tse , a par t-time s tudent and a cor rec ti onal services officer, savoured Buffett’s view on the topic of time: ‘He believes time is our friend rather than enemy. Perhaps many people expect him to teach us how to draw a perfectly planned schedule and strictly stick to the planned timeline for a successful business. However, his own experience is the opposite. He enjoys a free style in his daily life, reading, thinking, drinking at any time he likes. He proposed to us, “Students, remember to do what you exactly like!”’ After spending three days with Buffett, the CUHK representatives saw how he related to people, and were much humbled by their experience. Professor Bain recalled, ‘I was struck at the complete absence of minders o r s e cu r i t y, and t he g r ea t personal warmth that Mr. Buffett projected. He remained polite and self-deprecating throughout, providing det ailed answer s to each and every question.’ Bhatnagar added, ‘Buffett has lived in the same house since 1958. I got a chance to travel with him in his car, a Cadillac. He doesn’t have a driver, or security guards following him. He drives his own car. Isn’t it cool?’ What surprised the students most was that Buffett had a great deal to share when it came to personal life. Wendy Wu , a part-time MBA student and financial head for the China market of a US-listed company, recalled, ‘He considers picking the right spouse and raising children to be inve s tment s that we should attach great importance to. These two are what we cannot afford to lose, when compared with wrong decisions that lead to investment losses for your company.’ Adapted from Vol. 12, Connect , published by the CUHK Business School