Buffett to Musk: `There Are Some Pretty Good Moats Around'
Warren Buffett says it feels like there’s been more moats that have become susceptible to invasion recently.
(Bloomberg) -- Elon Musk recently took aim at the idea a successful business needs a “moat” -- a competitive advantage that keeps rivals at bay. The pace of innovation, he said, is more important in the long run.
On Saturday, Warren Buffett and his business partner, Charles Munger, shot back.
“Elon says a conventional moat is quaint, and that’s true of a puddle of water,” Munger, 94, said. “It’s ridiculous. Warren does not intend to build an actual moat. Even though they’re quaint.”
Munger and Buffett, 87, were responding to a question at Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s annual meeting about Musk’s comments this week. The pair often talk about trying to expand the “moats” around their businesses.
“First of all, I think moats are lame,” Musk said during an earnings call for his Tesla Inc. on May 2. “They’re like nice in a sort of quaint, vestigial way. But if your only defense against invading armies is a moat, you will not last long. What matters is the pace of innovation. That is the fundamental determinant of competitiveness.”
While Buffett said it does seem like more moats have become susceptible to invasion recently, he still observes plenty of companies, such as the See’s Candies unit that Berkshire owns, where they’re holding firm.
“Elon may turn things upside down in some areas, I don’t think he’d want to take us on in candy,” Buffett quipped. “There are some pretty good moats around.”
Musk didn’t stay silent. “I’m starting a candy company & it’s going to be amazing,” he wrote in a Twitter post Saturday, responding to Munger’s remarks. “I am super super serious.”
He followed up with another tweet: “Then I’m going to build a moat & fill it w candy. Warren B will not be able to resist investing! Berkshire Hathaway kryptonite …”
And then: “Saying you like ‘moats’ is just a nice way of saying you like oligopolies.”
For more on Berkshire Hathaway’s annual meeting, click here for our TOPLive blog.
--With assistance from Hannah Levitt
To contact the reporters on this story: Katherine Chiglinsky in Omaha at kchiglinsky@bloomberg.net, Noah Buhayar in Omaha at nbuhayar@bloomberg.net, Sonali Basak in New York at sbasak7@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Michael J. Moore at mmoore55@bloomberg.net, John McCluskey
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