Business Fellow Meets Investor Warren Buffett

Bakai Madybaev, a 2009 Muskie fellow from Kyrgyzstan, had the chance to meet the investor, businessman and philanthropist Warren Buffett in November. Bakai, an MBA student at Texas Christian University (TCU), traveled to Omaha with fellow students from TCU’s Neeley School of Business to visit two of Buffett’s companies and hear him speak about life, business, and the current economy.

While Buffett was named the richest man in the world by Forbes in 2008, “he is very down to earth” and joked around with the MBA students, Bakai observed. “Later we had lunch at Mr. Buffett’s favorite place, a very simple café somewhere in the suburbs of Omaha. After lunch, Mr. Buffet took an individual picture with every single student out of 180. He was greeting, shaking hands, smiling and posing with every student. He didn’t have any guard or secretary with him. After the photo session he got into his Cadillac and drove away by himself.”

Bakai was impressed by Buffett’s insights as well as his modesty. “Mr. Buffett told us we should never sacrifice family values to succeed professionally,” he said. “To be successful one should do what he likes. That’s what Mr. Buffett does—he likes to run his business just because he likes his work, not because he likes money.”

Buffett, who recently acquired a railroad company, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation, “shared his rationale in picking companies to invest in,” said Bakai. “He invests in companies where he understands the business and where he likes people and what they do.”    

“This is definitely one of the most unforgettable experiences that greatly impacted my life,” Bakai reflected. “Meeting with such a person makes people believe in the good and provides inspiration for big achievements. Thanks to the Muskie program for making it possible!”