Experiencing the AGM of Berkshire Hathaway: Through the eyes of an Indian

Mr Vivekananda Murthy, an Indian resident, shares his experience of attending the AGM and listening to the investing legend, Warren Buffett

"I think you have to be there to witness it for yourself" says Mr Vivekananda Murthy when it comes to describing the experience of attending the Annual General Meeting of Berkshire Hathaway and listening to the investing legend, Warren Buffett.

Mr Murthy, a 56 year old investor from Hyderabad, was attending the AGM as the winner of a contest conducted by Equitymaster, an equity research initiative.

"And to think I almost ended up not going to the US in the first place!" With the Air India pilots on strike, Mr Murthy's flight was delayed for hours, making him worry that he would never make it to Omaha, Nebraska, where the AGM is held every year.

At the AGM however, it was a completely different experience. Thousands of eager listeners queued up pre-dawn so that they could get a seat with a good view of the legend himself. Mr Murthy, determined to make the most of this opportunity, was among them.

"The auditorium was full and still people were trying to get seats for their friends or family members. There were at least 35,000 people in the auditorium waiting to hear what Buffett had to tell his shareholders this year. "

And Buffett did not disappoint. "You understand and agree with Buffett and his policy of investing for the long-term even more after you hear him speak."

What really impressed Mr Murthy was the amount of knowledge Buffett had and his command over numbers and statistics. "When he spoke, I couldn't help thinking from where does he get information like this!" says Mr Murthy in awe.

Besides invaluable nuggets of information from the great investor himself, there were other memorable moments for Mr Murthy too. The day after the AGM, Mr Murthy attended an exhibition for Berkshire shareholders where Warren Buffett play Borsheims jewelry salesman for the shareholders. Borsheims is a jewelry brand in which Berkshire has a stake. Later, Mr Murthy also got to rub shoulders with Bill Gates, who is a Director of the company.

All in all, it was an unforgettable experience for Mr Murthy who says he "was fortunate" to win the contest and be a part of such a memorable experience. As a winner of the contest, Equitymaster had sponsored his entire trip to attend Berkshire's AGM.

Seeing the popularity of the contest and the goodwill that Warren Buffett enjoys, Equitymaster has now launched its second initiative centred around the great investor - A quiz on Warren Buffett. The quiz aims to test how well his fans really know this legend.

About Equitymaster:
Equitymaster.com is an independent equity research aimed at empowering the investor by giving him honest, unbiased opinions on investing. Equitymaster's current initiative is having a free quiz on Buffett that aims to find out how well his fans really know him.

Media Contact: Sonal Ramachandran: sonal@equitymaster.com, 022 - 61434003