Mary Buffett - 7 Secrets to Investing Like Warren Buffett

ALSO BY MARY BUFFETT WITH DAVID CLARK

Warren Buffett Stock Portfolio

Warren Buffett and the Art of Stock Arbitrage

Warren Buffetts Management Secrets

Warren Buffett and the Interpretation of Financial Statements

Tao of Warren Buffett

New Buffettology

Buffettology Workbook

Buffettology

Scribner

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Copyright 2019 by Mary Buffett and Sean Seah

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First Scribner trade paperback edition October 2019

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Cover illustration by Spyarm/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019017044

ISBN 978-1-9821-3033-6 (pbk)

ISBN 978-1-9821-3034-3 (ebook)

To all investors and aspiring ones

This publication contains the opinions and ideas of its authors. It is not a recommendation to purchase or sell the securities of any of the companies or investments herein discussed. It is sold with the understanding that the authors and publisher are not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, investment, or other professional services. Laws vary from state to state and federal laws may apply to a particular transaction, and if the reader requires expert financial or other assistance or legal advice, a competent professional should be consulted. Neither the authors nor the publisher can guarantee the accuracy of the information contained herein.

The authors and publisher specifically disclaim any responsibility for any liability, loss, or risk, personal or otherwise, that is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents of this book.

You cant go back and make a new start, but you can start right now and make a brand-new ending.

J AMES R. S HERMAN , P H D

How different was your life ten years ago?

Did an event occur ten years ago that changed your life?

For some, a decade might seem insignificant. For others, a decade can be momentous. More than a decade ago, a young man in his early twenties lost $60,000 in the stock market. More than half of the money he lost belonged to his friends. He had convinced them that he could help make them richer with a proven trading system that he had learned in a business class. So, they entrusted him with their hard-earned cash.

This young man was Sean Seah.

Sean had been taught the risks involved in investing when he was a young man. He swore never to dabble in investments. However, he was dissatisfied with his financial status and started investing in the stock market blindly. Initially, he spent $5,000 to attend a short-term trading workshop and made an actual profit from his first trade.

He quickly gained immense confidence and invited his friends to let him manage their money. He raised $100,000 and lost more than half of the initial capital, in three months.

Sean was shocked but undeterred. After wiping tears of fear and disappointment from his eyes, he decided to take his investment education seriously and began to devour every investment book he could get his hands on.

One day, a friend recommended that he read a book titled Buffettology, which was co-written by the exdaughter-in-law of Warren Buffett. He told Sean, Using the techniques she introduced me to, my investment account has already gone up 60% since last year.

Sean searched for the book immediately. To his pleasant surprise, he found an entire series of books co-written by Mary Buffett and David Clark on the techniques and philosophy of Warren Buffett, including The New Buffettology. Sean studied the principles outlined in the books, and the young man who had once been clueless about investing began a journey that transformed him into one of the youngest investment millionaires in Asia.

If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.

I SAAC N EWTON

Sean stood in the lobby and looked at his watch anxiously.

10:50 a.m. Ten more minutes.

He was so excited that he could hardly breathe. In a moments time, he was about to meet the mentor who would change his life: Mary Buffett.

The exdaughter-in-law of Warren Buffett, Mary had been part of the Buffett family for 12 years. She had listened closely to Warren and learned how he invested in the stock market. Mary saw many people step into the market with a short-term speculative mind-set. Not Warrenhe invested logically, with intelligence and a fundamental methodology. And his investments earned billions of dollars.

Mary Buffett watched, listened, and began to absorb Warrens investing techniques and philosophy. In 1997, she consolidated her learning and coauthored her first book, Buffettology, with David Clark. This was the first of many bestselling books they published. Books that have been translated into 17 languages and distributed all over the world.

Sean studied and applied the principles outlined in these books to his own investments, and he quickly managed to achieve consistent, positive results. He was determined to learn more about Warren Buffetts investment strategy and techniques, and to meet Mary Buffett. After months of searching, he found someone who could arrange for a one-hour meeting in Los Angeles.

Are you Sean? a clear, crisp voice asked.

M-Mary? Sean turned around and saw a well-dressed woman in a pair of sunglasses. It was Mary Buffett.

Shall we have some tea at the restaurant? Mary asked with a smile.

After five minutes of introductions, investment ideas started to flow. Mary and Sean were completing each others sentences and speaking as if they had known each other for years.

Their one-hour meeting ended up stretching from late morning till dinner. They exchanged numbers and have been discussing how to invest like Warren Buffett for the past ten years.

Mary has become a mentor and an adviser to Sean. With her help and support, Sean went on to make his first million in the stock market. His story was featured in the media and he gained fame. Initially, he started small private sharing on how to invest when his friends requested that he do so. These requests grew and came from more people. He then started teaching more regularly and has become an authority in the investment education field. Sean is now invited to top universities in Singapore, the Philippines, Myanmar, and China as a guest lecturer. Financial institutions such as UOB Bank, CIMB Securities, and Phillip Capital also invite him to share his insights in closed-door sessions. He is frequently interviewed on the radio and TV, as well as in newspapers and magazines.