Warren Buffett's home in Omaha is a tourist attraction and was visited by investors from several countries all day Thursday (1). Less than 1 kilometer away, protesters gathered to demonstrate their disagreement and dissatisfaction with the measures adopted by Donald Trump in his first 100 days in office.

Even in the early hours of the morning, long lines formed at all entrances to the CHI Health Center in Omaha, where, in a few hours, Warren Buffet will answer questions from Berkshire Hathaway shareholders.

A small group of people hold a protest in support of Palestine. The protesters chant: “Free Palestine,” “Buffett supports Israel,” and “Supporting the 1% won’t make your life better.” The protest does not affect the operation of the event.

Canadian Krysten MacEachern, 30, took her daughter Evelyn, 7, to attend the annual Bershike Hathaway convention. The two will listen to advice from mega-investor Warren Buffett together. Krysten traveled with her entire family from the small town of Smithers, where she lives, with a population of 5,000, to Omaha, Nebraska, United States. There were three flights.

Krysten considers the conference an important experience for her daughter. She and her husband have a long-term plan to purchase a Class A share of Buffett’s company for each of their four daughters. The stock is worth about $800,000. Today, the family owns one Class A share.

As soon as the convention center gates opened, there was a rush to secure the best seat in the large auditorium. To the sound of Pink Floyd's "Money", people tried not only to get a seat for themselves, but also to reserve rows of seats. InfoMoney's report witnessed a man lying down on several chairs to block them and a woman fighting with people who sat in seats that she had "reserved" seconds before with coats and backpacks.

The first Q&A session begins CEO Warren Buffett, Ajit Jain, vice chairman of insurance, and Greg Abel, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Energy, answer questions from investors. Abel was named by Buffett as his successor as chairman of the asset manager, which adds interest to their positions.

Buffett: “This is my 60th annual meeting and it will be the biggest and best ever”

"Trade should not be a weapon"

Buffett said tariffs could be used as an act of war and made his stance on Trump's policy clear: "Trade should not be a weapon." He expressed concern about tensions with other countries: "I don't think it's a good idea to have a world where some countries say 'we won' while some have nuclear weapons. We want a prosperous world, and it's not going to happen at our expense."

Why does Berkshire Hathaway have record cash?

The manager closed 2024 with a record cash position of US$ 334 billion. Buffett explains that “We are in an extremely opportunistic business, it would be nice if we had at least four opportunities every day, but this does not happen. Soon we will be bombarded with opportunities, but it is very unlikely that this will happen tomorrow, just as it should not take 50 years.”

Why does Buffett buy stocks and not real estate?

An investor asked the “Oracle of Ohama” why he bought stocks instead of real estate. He responded by saying that “the time it takes to make a deal in real estate compared to doing something better with stocks is incomparable. Buying a property is a huge decision and the negotiations are time-consuming, if you want to buy or sell a stock, you do it in five seconds. It’s a totally different game and requires different skills to understand the joys of it.”

Buffett believes the US is undergoing a transformation, but the economy will remain strong In the face of what some are calling a crisis in the American economy, Buffett reiterated his confidence in the resilience of the United States. He said that the country has already gone through many changes, citing the Great Recession and the development of the atomic bomb, and will continue to change. “We have built our society on promises that we have always delivered. The luckiest day in my life was when I was born, because I was born in the United States.”

Warren Buffett in Q&A

“We don’t make decisions based on quarterly or annual impact”

Buffett shows more of his long-term investment philosophy when commenting on the recent devaluation of the dollar: “We don’t make decisions based on the quarterly or annual impact, what matters is where we will be in five years.”

“We do not want to invest in countries with significant chances of inflation getting out of control”

Buffett comments on the possibility of investing in Mongolia and says the country needs to build a reputation for being business-friendly and currency-conscious.

Tell me who you hang out with…

In a proverb-like response, Buffett advises a young female investor to walk alongside people she admires. “You won’t always make the right decisions, but your life will progress in the right direction if you hang out with people you admire and who make you want to be a better person.”

“What happened in the last 40 days is nothing”

When asked whether the recent period of volatility has created opportunities for Berkshire, Warren Buffett was blunt and said no. “What’s happened in the last 40 days is nothing. Berkshire has already fallen 50% three times since we bought it, even though there was no fundamental problem. If people think there’s been a big change because their stock has fallen 15%, they need a new investment philosophy. In 20 years we’re probably going to have another period that’s considered unprecedented.”

According to Warren Buffett: “It’s a terrible environment to be in if you’re scared by the downside and excited by the upside. People have emotions, that’s normal, but they need to let them go when investing.”

How will autonomous vehicles change the insurance industry?

Ajit Jain says that the number of accidents will fall, but the cost of repairs should increase as cars gain more on-board technology: “it is still an open question how these numbers will interact”. Buffett points out that all sectors are undergoing changes and says he does not know how the transformations will occur in this segment, but jokes: “it is no fun to play golf if you are going to hit every hole on the first try”.

“We are no longer competitive,” says insurance vice president

Jain says Berkshire Hathaway has suffered from competition from private equity firms in the insurance sector in recent years. “We used to do a lot of things in this segment, but in the last three or four years, I don’t think we closed a single deal.”

The executive, however, considered that the private equity strategy uses more leverage, a risky strategy that “works as long as the economy is doing very well”. He also points out that “there is always the danger that regulators will get angry and this will end in tears.”

Berkshire: Profits fall 14% and cash hits record in Q1 25

Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway's profits fell 14% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2025 to $9.64 billion, and revenue fell slightly to $89.73 billion. The results were released this Saturday (3) at the company's annual conference. Check out the full data in the report.

Why is Greg Abel Warren Buffett's successor?

An investor asked the mega-investor this question, but left without a direct answer. Buffett used the space to talk about the importance of passion for work in building Berkshire, but did not directly mention Abel's skills to assume his role in the future. "You need to have people around you who you trust who go above and beyond what is necessary."

The second session begins with a movie recommendation

Buffett praises the documentary “Becoming Catherine Graham”: “I think you’ll see a remarkable story and every American citizen should see it.”

See what the film recommended by Buffet talks about

The film “Becoming Katharine Graham” is a biography of Katharine Graham, the first woman to become editor of a major newspaper in the United States, the Washington Post. The story explores her personal and professional journey, from her childhood and the challenges she faced in a male-dominated environment.

The film highlights coverage of political scandals such as Watergate and how Katharine navigated issues of gender and power in the journalism industry.

Buffett takes part in the film, recording a statement about Katharine. Check out the trailer for the film recommended by the mega-investor, available to watch on Amazon Prime.

What will Berkshire Hathaway be like without Buffett at the helm?

Greg Abel, Warren Buffet's successor, says he will follow "the philosophy that Buffett and his team have used for the past 60 years," prioritizing long-term investments, understanding the risks of each business and closely monitoring the companies' numbers.

“We will never depend on banks or other institutions”

Abel also says that the record level of cash is “a strategic asset that allows us to get through difficult times without depending on anyone. We will continue to be Berkshire and will never depend on banks or other institutions to be successful.”

What can I do to become a part of Berkshire Hathaway?

A 14-year-old girl asked what it took to work at the management company. Buffett directed the answer to Greg Abel, who represents the future of the company. “You have to work hard,” Abel replied. “There are many important things in life, but if you focus on a good work ethic, you will find the things you love in life, and we look forward to the day when you will be a part of Berkshire.”