When: Friday, May 2nd
Where: CNBC's Business Day programming
Following is the unofficial transcript of a CNBC EXCLUSIVE interview with billionaire investor Warren Buffett. During the interview, Buffett provides a preview of the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders meeting. Excerpts of the interview will air throughout CNBC's Business Day programming today.
All references must be sourced to CNBC.
Buffett Excerpt 1: The Beginning
BUFFETT: it's a gathering of partners. And-- you know we have a lot of partners, but-- I like the fact they feel part of the can't. And to see it's a real company, real products, real people. And-- and I get to see real stockholders, so it's-- it's-- it's a gathering.
QUICK: It-- it started out as a very small event. When was the first-- when was the first one?
BUFFETT: Well, if you go way back we used to hold 'em in New Bedford, Mass.-- where Berkshire Hathaway started. So I would go back there. And-- and it was me and somebody taking the minutes. (butt to)) 10:34:44;11 And we would have about anywhere between eight and 12 people-- for the next 10 or so years until about 1981. And my aunt Katie would come and my Uncle Fred. I always packed the audience with people that would be sure to nominate me.
QUICK: Eight to 12 people in the lunchroom at National Indemnity. It-- it's a-- very modest beginnings for what it's turned into. A huge, huge event.
BUFFETT: Yeah. Just-- just-- we-- we held it down there because I had a canteen that had to buy their own coffee or (LAUGHS) candy or something like that. I was always trying to turn a profit on the meeting. And then-- when we merged with Blue Chip Stamps we-- we moved to a-- room at a hotel here where we maybe had 100 people. The sound system didn't work right or anything. But-- but it was fun-- seeing shareholders and having 'em ask questions. And-- I liked it. My partner Charlie Munger (PH) liked it. And-- we're kind of hams. So-- it was a chance to get an audience.