“要在别人贪婪的时候恐惧,在别人恐惧的时候贪婪”,BT版天剑狂刀私服,“退潮的时候,才知道谁在裸泳”……巴菲特这些关于投资的名言大家都很熟悉,他写给投资者的信也给了大家很多启发。但最近巴菲特开的一个玩笑却引发了大家的讥讽。其实他还经常这样说些怪比喻。
Warren Buffett sparked ridicule and outrage by comparing Heinz Kraft’s attempt last month to take over Unilever to a woman responding to sexual advances. The billionaire CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, which is a major shareholder of Heinz Kraft, was asked by an interviewer on CNBC why the consumer goods company had made an offer for its Anglo-Dutch rival even though the latter was clearly not interested in a tie-up. He responded by saying that “if a diplomat says yes, he means maybe. If he says maybe, he means no. And if he says no, he’s no diplomat.” He then added that “if a lady says no, she means maybe. And if she says maybe, she means yes. And if she says yes, she's no lady.” But if you were surprised by the billionaire’s crude comments (and perhaps also his implication that it's impossible to be both a lady and a diplomat) then dig into his rich backlog of letters to investors and you’ll find that he’s no stranger to sometimes questionable, and other times just weird, sexual metaphors. In a 2004 letter to investors, he likened being caught out by an unpredictable market, to skinny dipping in the sea. “Only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s been swimming naked,” he wrote. A year later, when explaining that Berkshire Hathaway aims to grow the value of its investments and earnings, Mr Buffett said: “In this ambition, we hope – metaphorically – to avoid the fate of the elderly couple who had been romantically challenged for some time. As they finished dinner on their 50th anniversary, however, the wife – stimulated by soft music, wine and candlelight – felt a long-absent tickle and demurely suggested to her husband that they go upstairs and make love. He agonised for a moment and then replied, ‘I can do one or the other, but not both.’” Two years later, in a similar letter to investors, Mr Buffett compared unsuccessful business deals to "ugly" women saying: “A line from Bobby Bare’s country song explains what too often happens with acquisitions: 'I’ve never gone to bed with an ugly woman, but I’ve sure woke up with a few.'” And while the 86-year old has perhaps become crasser – or at least more uninhibited – with age, he seems to have always had a penchant for odd references. Even way back in 1985, he attempted to emphasise the importance of patience by using an off-the-wall reference to childbirth. “No matter how great the talent or efforts, some things just take time,” Mr Buffett said. “You can’t produce a baby in one month by getting nine women pregnant”. ***巴菲特金句*** 1. 要在别人贪婪的时候恐惧,而在别人恐惧的时候贪婪。 2. 如果你没有持有一种股票10年的准备,那么连10分钟都不要持有这种股票。 3. 要赢得好的声誉需要20年,而要毁掉它,5分钟就够。如果明白了这一点,你做起事来就会不同了。 4. 投资对于我来说,既是一种运动,也是一种娱乐。我喜欢通过寻找好的猎物来“捕获稀有的快速移动的大象。” 5. 只有退潮时,你才知道谁是在裸体游泳。 6. 当一家有实力的大公司遇到一次巨大但可以化解的危机时,一个绝好的投资机会就悄然来临。 7. 投资企业而不是股票。 8. 拥有一只股票,期待它明天早晨就上涨是十分愚蠢的。 9. 即使美联储主席偷偷告诉我未来两年的货币政策,我也不会为之改变我的任何投资作为。 10. 我喜欢简单的东西。 |

