What it's like working for Warren Buffett: 'It's literally just reading about 12 hours a day' (2024)

As Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting approaches next week, Warren Buffett shared how hiring his two investment managers was "one of the best decisions" he ever made.

Yahoo Finance editor-in-chief Andy Serwer recently spoke with Buffett, Todd

Combs

and Ted Weschler in an interview in Omaha. Buffett hired Combs in 2010 and Weschler in 2011 to manage some of the company's funds. The two have rarely discussed their jobs in public.

"They're chosen for both ability and character," Buffett said. "Maybe seven or eight years ago, Charlie [Munger] and I talked about the desirability of bringing on somebody or maybe more than one somebody to both manage money now, but also in preparation for the day that Charlie and I won't be around."

The two proteges now manage $10 billion of capital versus the roughly $2 billion when they first started at Berkshire, according to the legendary value investor.

Hiring the two is "one of the best decisions that Charlie and I have ever made," Buffett added.

Combs also revealed what a typical day was like as a Buffett manager:

"I get in around 7 or 8 and I read until about 7 or 8 at night. And I go home and see my family and then I'll read for another hour or two in bed at night. And you know, there might only be three to four phone calls the entire week. So there are very, very few interruptions … But it's literally just reading about 12 hours a day."

Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholder meeting will be held on May 6.

See here for the full Yahoo Finance report and the interview video.

What it's like working for Warren Buffett: 'It's literally just reading about 12 hours a day' (2024)

FAQs

How many hours does Warren Buffet read a day? ›

Buffett spends 80% of his day reading

Supposedly, in the early days of Buffett's investment career, he would read 600-1000 pages in a single day. Nowadays, he still dedicates 80% of his day to reading.

How much does Warren Buffett read in a day? ›

Consider the extreme reading habits of other billionaire entrepreneurs: Warren Buffett spends five to six hours per day reading five newspapers and 500 pages of corporate reports.

What are the 2 rule of Warren Buffett? ›

Warren Buffett once said, “The first rule of an investment is don't lose [money]. And the second rule of an investment is don't forget the first rule. And that's all the rules there are.”

How many hours does Warren Buffet sleep? ›

After getting a solid eight hours of sleep, Buffett typically wakes up around 6:45am to start his day. Many of us look forward to a cup of coffee to wake us up in the morning, and although Buffett also opts for caffeine, it's not coming from a Keurig.

How many hours does Bill Gates read per day? ›

(Gates famously packs a tote bag of books when he goes on vacations.) “On vacation I get to read about 3 hours a day so I get through a lot of books,” Gates wrote on the Reddit AMA. Taking notes is one way that Gates synthesizes all the information he reads.

What is Warren Buffett's daily routine? ›

American business magnate Warren Buffett values his sleep and retires to bed at around 10 pm, reading for half an hour or so, then going to sleep by 10.45 pm each night. He is an early riser and his day starts at 6.45 am after at least eight hours of sleep. When Buffett wakes up, he doesn't reach for the coffee pot.

How many hours a day do billionaires read? ›

The Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, the top three richest man in the world said that he spends about 5 to 6 hours a day reading at least 5 newspapers and also read through pages and pages of financial documents every single day.

Can a person read 500 pages in a day? ›

Answer: the average reader takes about 13.9 hours to read 500 pages. You might take more or less time than 13.9 hours to read 500 pages, depending on your reading speed and the difficulty of your text. The average person's reading speed is around 300 words per minute (WPM).

How many hours a day do successful people read? ›

The 5-Hour Rule Used by Bill Gates, Jack Ma and Elon Musk The most successful people on the planet are also the people most likely to devote an hour a day to reading and learning.

What is the $1 dollar rule Buffett? ›

It is the $1 test that Warren Buffett wrote about in his 1983 shareholder letter. He said, "We test the wisdom of retaining earnings by assessing whether retention, over time, delivers shareholders at least $1 of market value for each $1 retained."

What is the 7% rule in stocks? ›

To make money in stocks, you must protect the money you have. Live to invest another day by following this simple rule: Always sell a stock it if falls 7%-8% below what you paid for it. No questions asked.

What are the 4 pillars of Warren Buffett? ›

Warren Buffett's Four Pillars of Investing. Quality of Information. Consistency of Earnings Growth. Finding Opportunities To Drive Your Investment Style.

What does Warren Buffet eat for breakfast? ›

The famed investor and Berkshire Hathaway CEO counts burgers, hot dogs, and ice cream among his favorite foods. He munches on McDonald's for breakfast, guzzles five cans of co*ke every day, and demolishes cookies and chocolates.

How much does Mark Zuckerberg sleep? ›

The thing the job is not known for, however, is a good night's sleep. With various board meetings and no shortage of pressure, rest can be hard to find. CEOs like Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk get under six hours of sleep each night.

Does Warren Buffet have high IQ? ›

It is said that Buffet himself apparently has an IQ over 150 (160 is considered a genius), the influential investor doesn't believe it's the sole reason for his success.

Did Elon Musk read 10 hours a day? ›

Long before he became the CEO of Tesla, and even before he cofounded PayPal, a young Elon Musk was reading science-fiction novels for up to 10 hours a day. He also reportedly read through the entire Encyclopedia Britannica when he was 9 years old. He still credits a love of books for his vast knowledge about rockets.

What is the 5 hour rule? ›

How does the 5-hour rule work? The main premise of the 5-hour rule is that regardless of how successful or knowledgeable you are, spending at least five hours every week deliberately learning something new can have exponential long-term benefits.

How long does Elon Musk read a day? ›

How many hours a day does Elon Musk read? Before Elon Musk became the owner of Tesla, he read for 10 hours a day. It helped him build confidence, empathy, decision-making, and other skills that are crucial to being a business owner.

What are Warren Buffett's weaknesses? ›

Buying at the wrong price, confusing revenue growth with a successful business, and investing in a company without a sustainable advantage are all mistakes the Buffett has shared with his shareholders in his legendary annual letters to them.

What are Warren Buffett's 10 rules for success? ›

Warren Buffett's 10 Rules for Success
  • Be Willing to Be Different. Don't base your decisions upon what everyone is saying or doing. ...
  • Never Suck Your Thumb. ...
  • Spell Out the Deal Before You Start. ...
  • Watch Small Expenses. ...
  • Limit What You Borrow. ...
  • Be Persistent. ...
  • Know When to Quit. ...
  • Assess the Risks.

What is Warren Buffett's favorite saying? ›

"The first rule of an investment is don't lose (money). And the second rule of an investment is don't forget the first rule. And that's all the rules there are." This is the table-setter for all of Buffett's comments on investing.

What time does the average millionaire go to sleep? ›

But the majority manage to get at least 6 hours, as you can see in the list below detailing the sleep habits of 10 highly successful people: Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX: 6 hours (1am — 7am) Tim Cook, CEO of Apple: 7 hours (9:30pm — 4:30am) Bill Gates, Co-Founder of Microsoft: 7 hours (12am — 7am)

Why do successful people read a lot? ›

Because successful people see books as a gateway to knowledge. As a result, they tend to read books that are going to help them grow their minds and improve their lives. This is important because, the truth is, if you're not learning anything of value, how do you expect your life to change?

How much can a human read a day? ›

The average reader can see about 7,500 words with just 30 minutes of daily reading. That's over 50,000 in just a week, and some of these words can be new.

How many pages can you realistically read in a day? ›

Reading doesn't need to take up all of your time. The most effective way to read more is to start with 25 pages a day. Twenty-five pages a day is almost 10,000 pages a year. The number of pages you read is not as important as the fact that you enjoy it.

Is it possible to read 2000 pages in a day? ›

The average reader will read 2,000 pages in 55.6 hours when reading at a speed of 300 words per minute (wpm). Typical documents that are 2,000 pages or more include full-length novels. A typical single-spaced page is 500 words long. You may read faster or slower than this depending on your average reading speed.

Is reading 100 pages in 4 hours good? ›

Answer: the average reader takes about 2.8 hours to read 100 pages. You might take more or less time than 2.8 hours to read 100 pages, depending on your reading speed and the difficulty of your text. The average person's reading speed is around 300 words per minute (WPM).

What do you call a person who reads a lot? ›

A bibliophile or bookworm is an individual who loves and frequently reads and/or collects books.

Why is it called the 5 hour rule? ›

It was coined by Michael Simmons, an entrepreneur and journalist. It suggests that no matter how busy successful people are, they will spend at least an hour a day — or 5 hours a work week — learning or practicing. A key part of the rule is that they will consistently do this across time, forever.

How much sleep does Bill Gates get? ›

7 Hours

What percentage of cash does Warren Buffett hold? ›

Nearly 80% of this amount is held in US treasury Bills and that means Berkshire alone holds 0.5% of the total treasury bills issued by the US government. To quote Buffett, “Cash holdings are nearly 20% of overall investment holdings of Berkshire Hathaway, which is almost the peak cash holding at any time in the past.

How much cash does Warren Buffett carry? ›

Warren Buffett's company reported that it now sits on $130.6 billion in cash from $128 billion in the fourth quarter of 2022, according to Edward Jones, citing Berkshire Hathaway company data.

What is the 90 10 rule Warren Buffet #1 money savings tip for retirees? ›

The 90/10 investing strategy for retirement savings involves allocating 90% of one's investment capital in low-cost S&P 500 index funds and the remaining 10% in short-term government bonds. The 90/10 investing rule is a suggested benchmark that investors can easily modify to reflect their tolerance to investment risk.

What is rule 21 in stock market? ›

The relationship can be referred to as the “Rule of 21,” which says that the sum of the P/E ratio and CPI inflation should equal 21. It's not a perfect relationship, but holds true generally.

What is the 80% rule in stock market? ›

Based on the application of famed economist Vilfredo Pareto's 80-20 rule, here are a few examples: 80% of your stock market portfolio's profits might come from 20% of your holdings. 80% of a company's revenues may derive from 20% of its clients. 20% of the world's population accounts for 80% of its wealth.

What is the 50% rule in stocks? ›

The fifty percent principle is a rule of thumb that anticipates the size of a technical correction. The fifty percent principle states that when a stock or other asset begins to fall after a period of rapid gains, it will lose at least 50% of its most recent gains before the price begins advancing again.

What are the three rules in life Warren Buffett? ›

Warren Buffett Says 3 Major Decisions in Life Will Be the Difference Between Success and Failure
  • Define success by your "inner scorecard" ...
  • Surround yourself with mentors. ...
  • Protect your reputation at all cost.
Jan 28, 2023

What are Warren Buffett's nine pieces of investing advice? ›

Warren Buffett's Best Investing Advice
  • Invest In Low-Cost Index Funds. To build up retirement savings, Buffett swears by one simple tip. ...
  • Stay the Course. ...
  • Don't Bet On Individual Stocks. ...
  • Pay Attention to Fees. ...
  • Start Early. ...
  • Do Your Own Research. ...
  • Keep a Long-Term View. ...
  • Invest In Yourself.
May 3, 2023

What does Elon Musk eat? ›

Musk has joined a legion of commerce giants who start their day with an unusual snack. Octopus, a bowl of ice cream, eight oatmeal biscuits, and a donut. It's an unusual order, but one you may hear if you went for breakfast with some of the biggest names in the corporate world.

What billionaire eats McDonald's every day? ›

Warren Buffett may be a billionaire businessman in his 90s, but he eats like a child. The investor and Berkshire Hathaway CEO loves McDonald's, Coca-Cola, and Dairy Queen.

What does Warren buffet order at McDonald's? ›

Warren Buffett eats McDonald's for breakfast, drinks 5 co*kes a day, and devours cookies and ice cream.

How much does Oprah sleep? ›

The talk show host, author and philanthropist reportedly gets eight hours of sleep between the hours of 10pm and 6am, with her last and first thoughts of the day centred upon gratitude. In the morning, rather than check her phone, Winfrey brushes her teeth and cares for her dogs before heading to her home gym.

Do high achievers sleep less? ›

Productivity begins even before the start of the workday. High achievers don't sleep in. Nearly 50 percent of the self-made millionaires begin their days at least 3 hours before the start of their workday.

How many hours Elon Musk slept? ›

Elon Musk says he's upped his sleep to 6 hours per night—and that his old routine hurt his brain. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, speaks with CNBC on May 16th, 2023. Elon Musk says his days of trying to sleep less and work more are over — at least, relatively speaking.

What is Jeff Bezos IQ? ›

There are several successful entrepreneurs who are known for their high IQ scores, such as: Jeff Bezos: The founder of Amazon, Bezos has an IQ estimated to be around 145.

Who has an IQ of 400? ›

Marilyn vos Savant (/ˌvɒs səˈvɑːnt/; born Marilyn Mach; August 11, 1946) is an American magazine columnist who has the highest recorded intelligence quotient (IQ) in the Guinness Book of Records, a competitive category the publication has since retired.

How much time on average does Warren still spend reading? ›

Renowned, successful businessman Warren Buffet recommends that, for people seeking success, we should be reading 500 pages every day. As reported in Inc., “Buffett reportedly spends as much as six hours a day reading books.

How many hours does Elon Musk read? ›

How many hours a day does Elon Musk read? Before Elon Musk became the owner of Tesla, he read for 10 hours a day. It helped him build confidence, empathy, decision-making, and other skills that are crucial to being a business owner.

Who spends the most time reading? ›

What is this? The average American male spends around 13 minutes and 48 seconds during the day reading for personal interest, while the average woman in the US reads for 19 minutes and 12 seconds per day. This means that women spend 39.13% more time in reading activities during the typical day as of 2021.

What is the longest time to read? ›

The longest marathon reading aloud is 124 hours and was achieved by Rysbai Isakov (Kyrgyzstan) in…

Who holds the record for reading the most books? ›

The World's Fastest Reader - Howard "Speedy" Berg - has been recognized for setting the world record for speed reading at 80 pages per minute. After earning several accomplishments, now he's giving back to others through education. He sits down with LO to learn his secrets to reading faster.

What is the 5-hour rule? ›

How does the 5-hour rule work? The main premise of the 5-hour rule is that regardless of how successful or knowledgeable you are, spending at least five hours every week deliberately learning something new can have exponential long-term benefits.

What is the 5-hour rule Bill Gates? ›

The rule is that you dedicate at least one hour every day- five hours a week to learning and reading. This one hour can be at any time of the day. You can wake up in the morning and read a book while sipping hot coffee or just listen to an audiobook while commuting to work.

How much sleep does Elon Musk get? ›

Elon Musk says he's upped his sleep to 6 hours per night—and that his old routine hurt his brain. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, speaks with CNBC on May 16th, 2023. Elon Musk says his days of trying to sleep less and work more are over — at least, relatively speaking.

How does Elon Musk learn so fast? ›

He started with solid roots and dense trunks, and then as he began to grow his knowledge upward, he began connecting branches and leaves together with other branches and leaves from other trees. Musk never learns a piece of information at random. Everything he intakes, he connects back to some deeper, more solid base.

How many pages does Bill Gates read a day? ›

Gates won't begin reading a book that he won't finish. According to his wife Melinda, Bill reads approximately 150 pages per hour, a staggering speed, especially given that he takes in and understands the vast majority of what he reads (his comprehension level is off the charts).

Why do billionaires read a lot? ›

The one quality that the top wealthiest people share is their habit of learning and evolving. The best way, even in the 21st century, to learn is through reading. All the books recommended by the billionaires have helped them think clearly, become better leaders, and build billionaire dollar companies.

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