Charlie Munger: Not Just Warren Buffett’s Right-Hand Man

Kathy M. Kristof’s Personal Finance column in the May 17 Los Angeles Times, Charlie Munger’s got a billion words of wisdom, is well worth reading, beyond whatever you take away about investing. Munger is vice-chairman of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc., Buffett’s right-hand man and, as Kristof puts it, “one of the world’s savviest investors.” Munger, who is 85 and a Harvard Law graduate, is also chairman of Wesco Financial, and an example of a person who trains his powerful intellect on a variety of areas. He, like Buffett, remains vital and relevant long past traditional retirement years. I first heard of Munger in 2002, when interviewing the late Jim Michaels, the legendary former editor of Forbes, for my forthcoming book, Living in More Than One World: How Peter Drucker’s Wisdom Can Inspire and Transform Your Life. Michaels was Drucker’s longtime friend and also his editor when Drucker wrote for Forbes. He drew my attention to the intellectual similarities between Munger and Drucker, and told me of a lengthy lunch the three had together and the brilliant conversation between the pair, whom Michaels said were meeting for the first time. I think many of us would have liked to have been at the table that day!