Of course, any company can be broken up, theoretically. But presumably, the shareholders
and the board of directors like the current formula for generating wealth, which has
worked quite well--underperforming the S&P500 what.. only twice in the past 27 years.
But lets say the shareholders and BOD decided to do so. Would it unlock wealth? If it were
to be broken up, shedding the non-insurance companies would be most logical, since the
insurance float kicks off the cash used to purchase companies. But, in such a
circumstance, you then must tie the fortune of BRK solely to weather and the insurance
business, which will no doubt make the company no more likely to beat the S&P 500 than any
other insurance company.

I would have to say that I think BRK works best all together, rather than broken up. What
do the rest of you think?

I wondering: is it possible that BRK could be broken up. Could indivdual businsesses
within BRK be sold to the public to unlock even more value for shareholders after Warren
is gone from the company. I'm sure this would never happen in his lifetime; but is it
possible?

STOP WORRYING ABOUT WARREN. GO ON A DIET AND DO SOME EXERCISE. HE'S GOING TO LIVE TO BE A
HUNDRED.

I doubt the stock will be affected if Warren disappears. Does that mean cash flow will
come to a stop. Or they will sell their holdings. That I doubt and I know they are
preparing for. If everyone thinks that will occur then that stock will soar higher.

You are correct that BRK will take a hit upon the demise of Warren. But, if one follows
what he preaches, it would make a great opportunity to buy with such a dip. Warren does
not in any way affect the businesses themselves. Other than purchasing stocks with the
float of its insurance holdings, he affects the businesses about as much as you or I would
if we owned shares in the company. After all, it is essential that management is able to
handle 100% of the business, else he woud not have purchased it to begin with. In fact,
even with Warren at the helm, many say BRK is undervalued in light of its holdings.
Without Warren, it may be even more undervalued. That being said, Warren has often said
that his successor is just as capable as he to continue the tradition, or maybe even more
capable.

At the risk of committing heresy, there are a few things about Berkshire Hathaway that
concern me as a shareholder:
- Despite the succession plans made by Buffet and the board, a not insignificant portion
of the value of BRK is dependent on Warren himself. If something happened to Buffet, the
stock would probably experience an immediate "haircut".
- Sometimes I wonder whether the company would be better managed if there were not so many
diverse businesses. How can such a large number not dilute oversight by the CEO?
- As outlined in "Owner-Related Business Principle #11", they are reluctant (or even
unwilling) to sell sub-par businesses. Examples: McLane Co., Buffalo News, Blue Chip
Stamps. It is increasingly difficult for me to understand this.
That said, I'm still a shareholder, but some of their practices just plain bug me.

He likes COP that should tell you all you need to know about Oil & Gas in the future.

Bearish on the dollar, he is so smart!

Bearish on the US.

I'm sure Ben Bernanke doesnt like his forecasts. lol