Berkshire Hathaway Watch: Railroads, Shareholder Meeting, Munger and More

A number of key developments to note for Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) watchers:

Buffett's Other Railroards: Norfolk Southern & Union Pacific

Old news: Berkshire Hathaway bought a ton of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation (BNI).
Breaking news: Buffett also loaded up on Norfolk Southern (NSC) and Union Pacific (UNP).

Notes from 2007 Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Meeting

Matt Stichnoth of BankStocks.com has released his notes from the 2007 Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder weekend.

Charles T. Munger, Commencement Speaker

USC Law: Commencement Keynote Speaker: Charles T. Munger

Charles T. Munger, vice chairman of holding company Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and Warren Buffett’s right-hand man, will offer his insight and intellect at the 2007 USC Gould School of Law commencement ceremony Sunday, May 13.

USC Law: Speaker Charles Munger encourages a lifetime of learning

“The safest way to get what you want is to try and deserve what you want. It’s such a simple idea – it’s the golden rule, so to speak,” Munger said. “You want to deliver to the world what you would buy if you were on the other end. There is no ethos, in my opinion, that is better for any lawyer or any other person to have. By and large, the people who have this ethos win in life.”

(Watch the full two-hour video)

The Snowball: How Warren Buffett Collected Friends, Wisdom and Wealth

Circa October 2005:

According to a statement issued Wednesday by Dell, the book will focus on Buffett’s business strategies. It will be based on the “thousands of hours” Schroeder spent with Buffett and on “unprecedented access to his files, friends and associates.”

Circa May 2007:

Schroeder said she hopes to send a first draft to her editor by June and has shown parts of it already, receiving general comments in return.

"It's not anything like any of the other (Buffett) books. It doesn't read like a biography or a self-help. It reads like a story," she said.

She has shown parts to a close friend in Texas, a housewife who is typical of what she hopes will be her audience. She loved it and wants to read more, Schroeder said.

"It's not a business book. It's a book about the business of life. There's a lot of business lore and histories in it, but it's not a book that is only of interest to people in business. It's a book that everyone would walk away with a lot of general wisdom.

"It's also fun, because anything to do with Warren can't help but be fun. It's not at all a serious book."

She estimated the book will have about 2,000 footnotes, a way to include details while moving the story ahead.