Fed Shot Its Own ‘Elephant Gun’ Before Buffett Got the Chance

26 Sep 2020, 08:37 AM IST

Warren Buffett, chairman and chief executive officer of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., speaks at the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Summit in Washington, D.C., U.S., Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

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Warren Buffett has referred to the massive cash pile at his company Berkshire Hathaway Inc. as his “elephant gun,” meaning he’s always on the prowl for an opportunity to shoot large sums of money at a big acquisition or investment. While he made a few deals this year as the Covid-19 pandemic roiled markets, he hasn’t been quite as active as he was during the global financial crisis more than a decade ago.

Why is that? Joining this week’s “What Goes Up” podcast to discuss why is Larry Pitkowsky, co-managing partner at GoodHaven Capital Management. His GoodHaven Fund counts Berkshire Hathaway as its top holding. Pitkowsky also discusses other holdings in the fund and shares some thoughts on markets and value investing.