Buffett Excerpt 2: On the Go and Having Fun

BUFFETT: It's interesting, there are a lot of events. And-- after the meeting which-- well, I get to-- I get there about 6:00 in the morning and then I walk around for a while and then we conduct six hours or so of questions. But then we have the international group for-- a few hours and then we have parties afterwards and all kinds of things. ((butt to)) 10:52:10 I don't get tired at all. And the interesting thing is Charlie doesn't get tired. And Charlie is 84. And he loves it. I mean when-- when we're up there with the international group and they're coming through he is-- you know if-- if they're from-- if they're from France he tells 'em about 28 things about France that they didn't know. And-- (LAUGHS) he's-- he's enjoying it too.

QUICK: You know it-- it's something a lot of-- CEOs I would guess probably don't-- have quite as much of a grasp for the planning for their annual meeting as you might. You're paying pretty keep-- close attention to how many people are coming, the responses you're getting back, aren't you?

BUFFETT: Yeah, no, it's fun. Yeah, no I-- oh, I can tell you every day. And I-- I can tell you where they're from. And I compare it to the previous year. Now this-- this is-- this is a big event for us.

QUICK: when do things really get busy for you? What time of your do you start picking up for this?

BUFFETT: They don't get busy for me. Kelly-- just does a fantastic job. I-- I don't even think about it. And my daughter does a great job, for example, on the movie. And we-- we've got-- the people in this office, they take care of everything. So I-- it doesn't really require time. I'm-- I'm very interested in it but-- but-- I don't have much to do.

QUICK: Okay, now you said the people in this office take care of it and people may think you have hundreds of people who are working behind the scenes, but this is a very small, tight group.

BUFFETT: It's-- it's 19 people. And they all have jobs and everything. But every one of those 19 will be participating in the meeting in some way.

QUICK: I am amazed at the number of events. I mean you could start Thursday night and there are going to be events from Thursday through Monday that other people are holding. How many of those can you actually make it to?

BUFFETT: Well, I make it to as many as I can. ((butt to)) I am on the go-- every evening. You know Friday evening-- well, Thursday and Friday evening, Saturday evening and Sunday evening. And I'm enjoying myself?

QUICK: And are-- do you like knowing that all these people are having-- the dinners and the gatherings and things, even the stuff you can't get to?

BUFFETT: Oh, yeah. When I'm Papa Bear, you know, I get to have a lot of fun with it. l(LAUGHTER)

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