The Buffett Essays Symposium

Among the landmark occasions in the legendary history of Berkshire Hathaway and its iconic co- leaders, Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger, was a 1996 symposium held in NewYork at Cardozo Law School. The focus of the symposium was Warren’s letters to Berkshire shareholders. The format was a series of panels with two dozen different experts dissecting all the ideas in the letters, about corporate governance, takeovers, investing, and accounting. Intellectual sparks illuminated the two-day affair, which drew unusual press interest for an academic convocation.

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While the principal tangible result of the conference was the publication of the international best-seller, The Essays of Warren Buffett: Lessons for Corporate America, the transcript of the symposium is now being made available by Lawrence in The Buffett Essays Symposium - with annotations and updated commentary that show just how timeless the topics are and how venerable the principles Buffett laid out remain.

Lawrence says:

“Like taking a ring-side seat at a championship bout, you will be enthralled by this record of Warren and Charlie debating their scholarly critics on every important topic in business life—the role of boards, the theory of investing, the use of accounting, and the value of mergers. Their wit and wisdom may rub off on you as Berkshire’s top executives defend their quirky ways and challenge conventional wisdom.”

Among the landmark occasions in the legendary history of Berkshire Hathaway and its iconic co-leaders, Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger, was a 1996 symposium held in New York at Cardozo Law School. The focus of the symposium was Warren's letters to Berkshire shareholders. The format was a series of panels with two dozen different experts dissecting all the ideas in the letters, about corporate governance, takeovers, investing, and accounting. Intellectual sparks illuminated the two-day affair, which drew unusual press interest for an academic convocation.

While the principal tangible result of the conference was the publication of the international best-seller,The Essays of Warren Buffett: Lessons for Corporate America, the transcript of the symposium is now being made available with annotations and updated commentary that show just how timeless the topics are and how venerable the principles Buffett laid out remain. I had the honor of hosting the event, editing The Essays, and now publishing this archival treasure, with current assessments by such luminaries as Robert Hagstrom as well as several participants from the original symposium.

The Buffett Essays Symposium

Get The Full Warren Buffett Series in PDF

Get the entire 10-part series on Warren Buffett in PDF. Save it to your desktop, read it on your tablet, or email to your colleagues