Frigging money-maker

Saturday, August 4, 2007

Everyone knows who the richest man alive is. In case you are from a different quadrant of the universe, and have no idea on to whom the Forbes bestowed this title, it is none other than Bill Gates, an American entrepreneur, philanthropist and the chairman of Microsoft Software Company. He is that middle-aged man with grizzly hair, usually unkempt, whose software company made him the youngest multi-billionaire in the history of United States. As of 2007, his net worth has reached almost $57 billion. He earns roughly one million dollars, enough to pay the debt of our country. With so much money, he can almost buy a ticket to heaven but apparently he hasn't shelled out money even for his hair.

Much has been known about Bill Gates. So, let's then give the limelight to the people who trail behind Bill Gates's fortune. Carlos Slim Helú, second richest person according to Forbes. The hell I care, I'm not going to focus on him. I think the name even sounds bogus. But I'm going to talk about the third richest person who piqued my attention. Warren Buffet.

Just like Bill Gates, Warren Buffett is an American investor, businessman and a philanthropist. His net worth as of 2007 is estimated to be around US$52.4 billion. That means he can actually buy me. I don't think, however, he would waste money just to purchase a dumb bloke. Knowing him, he'd rather send the money to the charities.

Here are some facts about him. It was e-mailed to me by my friend. He got it from an interview conducted by CNBC with Mr. Buffett.

1) He bought a small farm at age 14 with savings from delivering newspapers.

2) He still lives in the same small 3-bedroom house in mid-town Omaha, that he bought after he got married 50 years ago. He says that he has everything he needs in that house. His house does not have a wall or a fence.

3) He drives his own car everywhere and does not have a driver or security people around him.

4) He never travels by private jet, although he owns the world's largest private jet company.

5) His company, Berkshire Hathaway, owns 63 companies. He writes only one letter each year to the CEOs of these companies, giving them goals for the year. He never holds meetings or calls them on a regular basis.

6) He has given his CEOs only two rules. Rule number 1: do not lose any of your shareholder's money. Rule number 2: Do not forget rule number 1.

7) He does not socialize with the high society crowd. His past time, after he gets home, is to make himself some pop corn and watch television.

8) Bill Gates, the world's richest man met him for the first time only 5 years ago. Bill Gates did not think he had anything in common with Warren Buffet. So he had scheduled his meeting only for half an hour. But when Gates met him, the meeting lasted for ten hours and Bill Gates became a devotee of Warren Buffet.

9) Warren Buffet does not carry a cell phone, nor has a computer on his desk.

10) His advice to young people: Stay away from credit cards and invest in yourself. Remember money doesn't create man but it is the man who creates money.

Despite the astronomical wealth that he has, he still preferred to live an unostentatious and frugal lifestyle. And this is what I call healthy living.