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Warren Buffett The World's Greatest Investor
The most powerful businessperson in America famously understated about his station in life. Sure, Warren Buffett enjoys some of the trappings that come from being the second- richest man in the world, such as winging around in one of his Netjets and playing bridge with pal Bill Gates. Mostly, though, the 72-year-old brushed aside1 the notion that he is the Atlas2 of American business."It really just means that if I do something dumb3, I can do it on a very big scale , "he chuckles," It means you could add a lot of zeros to the losses. "
There haven't been many of the latter. Buffett's company, Berkshire Hathaway, has become an all-American juggernaut4, with multibillions-dollar interests in everything from insurance —where Buffett is one of the world's leading players — to newspapers, carpets, and boots. In racking up compound annual returns of 21% over the past 15 years ( vs. the market's 11%) , Buffett has proved himself the world's greatest investor. As such, his influence on stocks and the market is unparalleled. Word that Buffett is buying or selling certain shares will move a stock like a pinball, which is why he is extra-guarded when it comes to discussing investments.
One of the few places where he does talk about investment — his annual letter to shareholders — is far and away the most widely read communication from a CEO in the world. When former Chinese President Jiang Zemin discussed the mystifying nature of the U. S. stock market with a visiting Bill Gates, Gates told him that there was really only one guy who understood it: Warren Buffett. Gates added that when he got back to the U. S., he would send Buffett's most recent annual report to him. Which he did.
What's more, Buffett is without question the world's most sought-after businessman by other CEOs who want guidance. " CEOs are surrounded by people who are getting paid, "says Buffett."I'm getting nothing, so I can give them unbiased advice . "Over the past five years dozens of CEOs have come to Omaha to visit the sage, including General Electric's Jeff Immelt." I've been there two or three times to speak with him and have a steak, "says Immelt."He 's the world's most astute investor and I'm trying to pick his brain . "
The U. S. Congress hangs on5 Buffett's words too. On May 20, 2003, just days be017 fore lawmakers voted on Bush tax bill, Buffett wrote an op-ed6 piece in the Washington Post that pointed out what he perceived as the folly of eliminating taxes on dividends. The tax cut, Buffett argued, would mostly benefit the wealthy. Powerful stuff coming from Buffett — powerful enough to persuade certain members of Congress to water down7 the final version of the tax cut. Quietly simply, Buffett is respected and admired more than any other businessperson alive, not only by others in business but by the general public as well. Now that's power.
練習題：
Ⅰ. Complete th e se ntences with ph ra ses from the a bove pa ssa ge :
1. He my objection to his plan.
2. She 's the best actress I've seen.
3. A great deal this decision.
Ⅱ. True or False :
1. Warrant Buffet is the richest man in the world.
2. Warrant Buffet is regarded as the only one person who can understand the stock mark.
3. Warrant Buffet even influenced the Congress.
