Warren Buffett’s Humor and Wisdom: The Funniest and Smartest Quotes from the Oracle of Omaha

Warren Buffett’s Humor and Wisdom: The Funniest and Smartest Quotes from the Oracle of Omaha

[Source - Men's Journal]

This gentleman needs no introduction: a business prodigy, an investment polymath, the stock investment guru. Of course, it's Warren Buffett. Born on August 30, 1930, in Nebraska, U.S., he is regarded as the most triumphant investor of the 20th & early 21st century. As of April 02, 2025, his net worth is considered to be $16,420 billion. As the chairman & largest shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway, his investment prowess remains an inspiration for all aspiring & existing investment enthusiasts. The legend transformed a dwindling textile company into a money minting machine. It became the world’s first ever successful holding company. Fondly known as the “Oracle of Omaha”, he attracts a heap of fans to hear him speak at Berkshire’s annual meeting. Phew! We can go on & on about this man.

A believer in long-term investment, he bought his first stock at age 11. He was the second child among three and the only boy; his father was a stockbroker & four-term U.S. congressman. Money-making fascinated him at an early age, so at 14 years old, he started selling cold drinks & confirmed a paper route for himself. Later, he invested the savings from these doings in 40 acres of land that he rented for a profit. Upon realizing the importance of graduation from his father, he enrolled himself in Harvard University only to be rejected. Columbia University came to his rescue. Warren Buffet was mentored by Benjamin Graham, the father of value investing. His vision was to look at the bigger picture & focus on a company’s management team & its products' disruptive advantage in the marketplace when deciding upon an investment.

Today, we’re here to highlight his impeccable, witty, & intellectual quotes. Not to give generic information about him (even if we can go on & on about him). Let’s start with the funny ones first. Because, why not? Here they are with explanations:

We also look for three things: Intelligence, energy, & integrity. If you don’t have the latter, then you should hope they don’t have the first two, either. If someone doesn’t have integrity, then you want them to be dumb & lazy.

 Explanation: Here, Warren Buffett stresses valuing integrity. Intelligence & energy are infectious; without them. A dishonest, smart person causes more harm than a dishonest one. Ideally, seek integrity first. If not, hope for incompetence.

Only in the sales presentations of investment banks do earnings move forever upward.

Explanation: Although not a laugh-out-loud one, this one has a humorous side. Here, he says investment banks’ sales pitches always show rising earnings. Reality doesn’t often match that pitch. They put forth unrealistic, perpetually optimistic illusions. It is a critique of overly rosy financial projections.

We have embraced the 21st century by entering such cutting-edge industries as brick, carpet, insulation, and paint. Try to control your excitement.

Explanation: The quote humorously contrasts ‘21st-century’ expectations with their focus on old-school industries like brick & mortar. It’s a sarcasm-filled nod to their investment strategy, choosing stability over the trench trend. The ‘control your excitement’ line mocks the idea that these industries are dull. It’s a self-aware joke about their non-glamorous but profitable approach.

Being a business magazine, we love these subtly funny quotes from Warren Buffett. For hustlers like us, he is more than an inspiration. The stock market is a whirlwind of stocks that may become overwhelming when it's time for decision-making to invest in those stocks.

Now it's time for the smart quotes by the man himself. Here they are:

It’s far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price than a fair company at a wonderful price.

Explanation: The crux of companies is often poor and undervalued. Undervaluation is not a prediction that a stock is worth buying. The primary task of the investor is to consider if the stock has good fundamentals to begin with- if the company is wonderful. Once you believe the company is wonderful, you can consider if it is overvalued or undervalued.

Today, people who hold cash equivalents feel comfortable. They shouldn’t. They have opted

Explanation: Warren Buffett emphasizes that cash is the worst asset an individual can possess. By non-investment, one is holding a depreciating asset that becomes devalued from inflation. To keep fighting against inflation, one must discover ways to keep wealth growing over time.

Opportunities come infrequently. When it rains gold, put out the bucket, not the thimble.

Explanation: If, at any point, an investor is lucky enough to witness several wonderful companies coming up with open doors for investment opportunities, there’s no reason to be overwhelmed. They should not take massive advantage of that opportunity.

Being ardent fans of Warren Buffett, we also recommend some books written about him. He never wrote books, but many authors have written about him. Here are the top 3 book recommendations:

The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham: Benjamin Graham has been regarded as one of the best financial advisors of the twentieth century. In the book, he points out that sound investment requires no more than the proper intellectual framework for decision-making.

The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder: Neither this biography nor "Buffett: Making of an American Capitalist" may add much to your knowledge of Buffett's investment strategies (other than to emphasize that his approach evolved over time), but both do have a lot to offer about the man himself, his life, and his experiences.

The Warren Buffett Way by Robert G. Hagstrom: This Hagstrom book is everything you will need if you’re looking for investing lessons drawn from the impressive record Buffett has accommodated over these years. This book was released in a third edition in 2013. He highlights the principles Buffett follows on investing and walks the reader through them with case studies from Buffett’s own investment portfolio.

Conclusion

The investors who have read these books have changed their perspective on life and their way of thinking and developed several strategies to invest in the stock market. Each book unfolds different theories, philosophies, and viewpoints. Reading these books on Warren Buffett has helped people grow in confidence and inculcate an entrepreneurial attitude in themselves. Being a business magazine, we too recommend these books as finance is an interesting field of work and can benefit immensely.

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