After years of e-mail exchanges with his idol’s secretary, years of reading books on him and studying his annual reports and years of asking just how he does it all, junior finance major Shai Dardashti will finally sit across from the man.
No, it’s not Derek Jeter, Bill Clinton or Jay-Z. It’s financial guru Warren Buffett, the second-wealthiest man in the world, who is worth more than $40 billion. On May 23, Dardashti and at least 30 university students will be able to sit with the investing genius for an hour and a half question-and-answer session at his Berkshire Hathaway offices in Omaha, Neb..
Buffett is chair and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., an insurance and holding company. The company holds major stakes in numerous companies, such as Coca-Cola and Geico Car Insurance.
Dardashti, whose room looks like a shrine to Buffett with its dozens of books written about and by him, said his childlike obsession for Buffett started when he was in elementary school.
During recess and lunch, Dardashti said he would turn on any television he could get his hands on just to watch the stock market.
For years, he said, he saved up enough money to buy one class B share of Buffett’s company, which closed yesterday at $2,902.30. One share of his class A shares, the highest class of stock available, costs about $87,000.
For Dardashti, talking with Buffett gives him a chance to meet his role model in both business and life. Though Buffett is a billionaire, he is famously known for his humility. He still lives in a house that was worth about $35,000 when he bought it more than 40 years ago.
“It’s like visiting a candy shop,” Dardashti said of his meeting with Buffett. “Like bringing a fantasy to life.”
Mark Chen, an assistant finance professor and the trip’s faculty adviser, said Dardashti should be commended for organizing the trip. Chen knows Dardashti has been working on meeting Buffett ever since Buffett responded to a Dardashti’s letter five years ago.
“It really goes to show that persistence pays,” Chen said.
Chen said he wants students to see that Buffett is more than just money.
“I really want students to come away with more of what the man is like, not just what his portfolio is like,” Chen said. “And to learn from all aspects of business, not just making money.”
Chen said it’s extremely rare for Buffett to meet with fans.
“It’s an amazing opportunity,” he said. “Keep in mind some people are paying a quarter of a million dollars to meet with him.”
Last year, an eBay bidder offered $250,100 to have lunch with Buffett. Though some people have to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to pick his brain, Buffett is known to set time aside to meet with students. Last year, students from the University of Pennsylvania went to his offices for a similar meeting.
Dardashti said there are still spaces available for students to meet with Buffett. He said he has about a half-dozen confirmations from people and about 30 e-mails from people who said they are working on filling out the necessary information. The deadline for students to sign up is April 15.
