Warren Buffett is considered the most successful modern investor, currently worth over $100 billion. He became a disciple of esteemed investor Benjamin Graham while at Columbia, later launching his own partnerships in the 1950s.His defining investment was acquiring New England textile firm Berkshire Hathaway in 1965 as a vehicle to buy stocks and companies. As Buffett evolved from Graham's "cigar butt" approach to focusing on quality companies, Berkshire transformed into a powerhouse conglomerate owning insurers, manufacturers and consumer brands.Buffett also formed key lifelong partnerships with Charlie Munger and Bill Gates underpinning his long-term rational investing approach. Despite the wealth created, Buffett leads a modest lifestyle and has pledged to donate 99% of his fortune to address inequality.For Berkshire succession, Buffett decentralized operations and identified portfolio managers Todd Combs and Greg Abel to handle capital allocation duties. Buffett views Berkshire as a community, so the culture should endure past his leadership. His legacy includes unparalleled value creation, educating average investors, philanthropy, oversight excellence, and providing a model for long-term, community-focused capitalism.
