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The week's question
In December 2024, in the thread "Re: BRK: Why Not XOM?", BreckHutHigh asked the members: "What about the long road trips with kids?" This week it is put to everyone again. The button below opens the small thread re-asking it - read what others have said so far, then give your own answer as an ordinary reply.
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Stocks A to Z / Stocks B / Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A)
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Author: mungerish   😊 😞
Number: of 21942 
Subject: Re: Bogle , back to the real world,
Date: 01/23/26 4:32 PM
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Let's say Charlie Munger was an extremist when it came to concentration. He thought you were perfectly well diversified if you owned 3 great assets you really knew something about.

Have you ever looked at Berkshires holdings and subtracted the Ted/Todd and or Lou Simpson holdings. He has huge positions in generally 5-8 names...and that's with all those billions. Now of course,we do have 70+ operating companies, but that's a different game. With the operating companies he's running a museum for business owners who don't want to see if broken up and sold off.

I have the exact quote at my office, but he essentially said this:
In a 2008 discussion (echoing similar sentiments from earlier years, like 1998), Buffett emphasized concentration for skilled investors:

He and Charlie Munger "operated mostly with five positions."
If he were running $50 million, $100 million, or $200 million, he would put 80% of the money in five positions, with the largest single position at around 25%. JPGSX is bigger than that now, but I would argue the same concentration principles basically apply.
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This community has written 21,448 posts about Berkshire Hathaway. The article-length ones it recommended most:
BRK: Why Not XOM? · 62 recs · 2024
Second quarter comments · 60 recs · 2023
Berkshire's Profit Contributors · 57 recs · 2023
Summary of 2Q 2026 · 54 recs · 2026
3Q Summary · 53 recs · 2024
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