It’s official. I’m in my late 30s.
Well, I’m 36 today but my wife got me a card with the words Ancient Relic on it…
And usually I write a long list of lessons that I learned over the past 12 months.
But today I wanted to focus on just one.
It comes from Warren Buffett, but probably not in the way you’d expect.
In 2017, HBO did a documentary about Buffett’s life called Becoming Warren Buffett - it’s pretty interesting because it’s one of the rare looks at his family life rather than just his investing.
And in the documentary they interview his daughter Susie - talking about Susie’s own upbringing and what Warren was like as a father
There’s one thing she said that keeps reverberating around my head
“Physical proximity to Warren doesn’t always mean he’s there with you. [Growing up] He was there physically, but he was upstairs reading all the time.”
There isn’t the only anecdote in the film that shines a not-so-favorable light on Buffett as a father and family man.
Like all of his, he’s complex. And you don’t get to the absolute top of your field without sacrificing an enormous amount.
But that doesn’t mean that you or I have to do the same thing.
For me, no amount of wealth would satisfy me… if I knew my daughter thought that I wasn’t present in her life.
I couldn’t live like that.
And maybe there are things in your life now that you are sacrificing… that you no longer want to.
Whether it’s time with family… or putting off learning a new hobby.
Ask yourself, what’s the alternative?
Worth thinking about for a few minutes at least…
Right I’m off to do our weekly call with OCA students, then I’m going to grill some steaks and hang out in the garden with my family.
Oliver
P.S.
Don’t worry, a full breakdown of big tech earnings will come in tomorrow’s email