Father time always wins! What Warren Buffett’s 4-word farewell message means

Warren Buffett stepped down as chairman of Berkshire Hathaway earlier this month, passing the baton to his son Howard Buffett after spending more than half a century in the role and transforming a struggling textile business into a more than $1 trillion enterprise.

In his letter to Berkshire’s shareholders, the legendary market investor recalled celebrating his 96th birthday in August this year and recognizing that it was time to move on. "Father Time always wins," he reflected.

Buffett said he still has the best job in the world after having served sixty-plus years in Berkshire since 1965. “That is not something many people my age can say, and I have never felt better about what comes next,” he wrote. “Serving as your Chairman has been the privilege of a lifetime, and I have never taken your trust for granted. Father Time always wins. He has, however, been generous with me. He has given me the opportunity to see Berkshire reach a point where I am more confident than ever about what lies ahead. The company is in excellent hands, and I look forward to remaining a shareholder alongside you,” he added.

His ‘Father Time always wins’ comment has grabbed headlines. It refers to the old saying, “Father Time is undefeated.” This means that aging and the passage of time will eventually catch up to everyone, and no one can win against it. Buffett’s latest comment references the inevitability of aging.

While investors across generations continue to follow legendary expert Warren Buffett’s invaluable market advice, the billionaire’s frugal lifestyle also grabs the headlines and speaks volumes about his money-saving habits.

Warren Buffett’s Apple bet

Buffett first bought Apple shares in 2016, and it has grown into Berkshire's single biggest position. It accounts for nearly 22% of the conglomerate's roughly $263 billion equity portfolio. Berkshire invested about $35 billion in Apple during the period between 2016 and 2018. That $35 billion investment then rapidly surged to around $185 billion before tax, including dividends and gains, Buffett was quoted by Business Insider as saying. "And I didn't have to do a damn thing," he added.

In an interview earlier this year, Buffett said he sold Apple too soon and would buy more of it, though not at the ongoing market price then. “I sold it too soon. But I bought it even sooner,” he told CNBC. Warren Buffett once joked that Apple’s outgoing CEO Tim Cook made more money for Berkshire Hathaway’s shareholders than he ever did as CEO of the iPhone-maker. While Buffett sold a major chunk of Berkshire’s Apple holding, it still constitutes the company’s largest holding.

Also read | Why Apple shares remain Warren Buffett's favourite investment?

Warren Buffett’s latest warning

The 'Oracle of Omaha' recently criticised the current stock market environment, highlighting that value investing is fizzling out as people prefer gambling instead. "It is tough to find value when everybody is preferring gambling," the legendary investor said in his latest interview with CNBC. He added that there are times when opportunities are just thrown at an investor so fast, and then there are other times when the investor is lucky to find one thing in a couple of years. "And it should always be that the latter is what prevails," the 'Oracle of Omaha' said.

"But since humans love to gamble so much, there is more money in actually cultivating gamblers than in cultivating investors," the 95-year-old Berkshire Hathaway Chairman said.

Also read | US 10-year bond yield crosses 5%: Why Warren Buffett once called bonds a terrible investment

Disclaimer: This article has been written by Debaroti Adhikary, who is not a SEBI-registered Research Analyst or an Investment Adviser. Debaroti Adhikary and his/her ‘relative(s)’ (as defined under Section 2(77) of the Companies Act, 2013) do not hold any financial interest in the companies mentioned in this article as of the date of publication. The views/recommendations mentioned in this article, wherever applicable, are those of the respective SEBI-registered Research Analyst/brokerage and have been reproduced/reported with due attribution. They should not be construed as the views or recommendations of The Economic Times Digital or the journalist. Readers are advised to consider the original research report and make their investment decisions based on their own assessment. Brokerage disclaimers here.
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