One of the most interesting features of Mr. Buffet’s character is his propensity for collecting and preserving documents and audio of famous events and people, which make up part of the Buffett Archive Collection. Among his most valuable possessions are four books on the life and works of John Buffett, which span a period of over forty years. Among his other important audio works are those of President William Clinton, Senator Ted Kennedy, and Senator Martin Luther King, amongst many others. A further collection of works from this period is available as an eBook, entitled A Year in the Bank: The Private and Public Markets of John L. Buffet, which was co-authored by Senator Robert Kutterer and former Senator George E. Mitchell.
The fourth book in the series, Built Around 24 Years, is comprised of a series of conversations that the legendary investor has recorded over the years. These conversations range in topics related to his work as a corporate shareholder and his later years as a private individual investor, with topics ranging from taxes and banking to the value of art to his personal philosophies about money and retirement. A further feature of the Buffett Archive is that it includes an audio version of Mr. Buffett’s famous speech at a recent annual shareholders meeting.
The entire archive was built around 24 years, during which Mr. Buffett has been quoted repeatedly on the topic of investing, business, and life. While some of the information may no longer be relevant due to the current public debate surrounding corporate taxation and the proper definition of wealth, certain aspects of the speech have stood the test of time. For example, in his address, he noted that the biggest thing that any investor could ever hope for was to “know where your money is.” In so doing, he demonstrated the importance of building a cache of knowledge about specific companies, their assets, trading practices, and their competitors, as well as general economic and financial trends.