Warren Buffett's Ground Rules: Words of Wisdom from the Partnership Letters of the World's Greatest Investor - Softcover

Miller, Jeremy

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1781255644 ISBN 13: 9781781255643

Publisher: Profile Books, 2017

Synopsis

At the age of 26, Warren Buffett founded Buffett Partnership Limited, which lasted from 1956 to 1970. During this time he wrote 33 letters to his small but growing group of partners. These letters chronicle his thoughts, approaches and reflections in the period immediately prior to his Berkshire Hathaway tenure - one that saw an unprecedented record of investing success.

This early period was astonishing: in 1968 he beat the Dow by more than 50%. Because Buffett wanted to ensure that his partners understood his process, he wrote letters. In them, he sets out what he termed "ground rules" for investing that remain startlingly relevant today for every type of investor - from beginners to sophisticated pros. Warren Buffett's Ground Rules brings together, for the first time, and with Buffett's blessing, the key investment principles and teachings the letters reveal. Here you will find the basis for Buffett's contrarian diversification strategy, his almost religious celebration of compounding interest and his tactics for bettering market results by at least 10% annually.

Quoting extensively and directly from Buffett, equity research expert Jeremy Miller introduces us to the timeless advice the letters contain, demonstrating a set of highly effective investment strategies that continue to resonate today.

About this title

From the Back Cover

Using the letters Warren Buffett wrote to his partners between 1956 and 1970, a veteran financial advisor presents the renowned investor’s “ground rules” for investing—guidelines that remain startlingly relevant today.

In the fourteen years between his time in New York with value-investing guru Benjamin Graham and his start as chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett managed Buffett Partnership Limited, his first professional investing venture.

Over the course of that time—a period in which he experienced an unprecedented record of success—Buffett wrote regular letters to his small but growing group of partners, sharing his thoughts, approaches, and reflections.

Compiled for the first time, and with Buffett’s permission, the letters spotlight his contrarian diversification strategy, his almost religious celebration of compounding interest, his preference for conservative rather than conventional decision-making, and his goals and tactics for bettering market results by at least 10 percent annually. Demonstrating Buffett’s intellectual rigor, they provide a framework for the craft of investing that had not existed before: Buffett built upon the quantitative contributions made by his famous teacher, Graham, revealing how these wisdoms could be applied and improved.

With additional context, synthesis, and insights provided by Jeremy C. Miller, Warren Buffett’s Ground Rules gives us a firsthand look into Buffett’s mind and provides accessible lessons in control and discipline—effective in bull and bear markets alike, and in all types of investing climates—that are the bedrock of his success. Warren Buffett’s Ground Rules paints a rare portrait of the sage as a young investor during a time when he developed the long-term, value-oriented strategies that helped him build the foundation of his wealth—rules for success every investor needs today.Taken together, the letters provide a solid foundation for building financial success.

Advance Praise for Warren Buffett’s Ground Rules

“Mr. Miller has done a superb job of researching and dissecting the operation of Buffett Partnership Ltd., and of explaining how Berkshire’s culture has evolved from its BPL origin. If you are fascinated by investment theory and practice, you will enjoy this book.”—Warren Buffett

“This book is much more than a compilation of excerpts from Buffett’s letters, smartly organized by investment theme. Miller begins every chapter with an articulate and insightful synthesis, which helps the reader understand Buffett’s key ground rules on each theme.”—Robert Pozen, senior lecturer at MIT Sloan School of Management, former chairman of MFS Investment Management

“Warren Buffett’s Ground Rules is an extraordinarily useful book for anyone who is interested in investing, or in Warren Buffett. Jeremy C. Miller has done a careful study of Buffett’s early partnership letters and turned them into an easily accessible body of knowledge.  In doing so, he has written an indispensable book. For my part, I will keep it close at hand for easy reference in the years to come.”

—Guy Spier, author of The Education of a Value Investor

“Warren Buffett’s Ground Rules is a wonderful collection of Buffett’s early partnership letters and musings organized in a thoughtful, concise, and entertaining format. Together with Miller’s commentary, the book offers valuable insight into the world of value investing.”—Christopher Blake, managing director of Lazard Asset Management

About the Author

Jeremy Miller is an investment analyst for a leading New York based Mutual Fund Company.  He has over 15 years of financial industry experience, having served in various capacities across Equity Sales and Research at several of the world’s largest investment banks.

Edition details

• Publisher: Profile Books
• Publication date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1781255644
• ISBN 13: 9781781255643
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 352