ClaimsPeople

Warren Buffett

Warren Buffett led Berkshire Hathaway as chairman from 1970 and as CEO until January 1, 2026, and now serves as chairman emeritus and a board member.

1,556 claims collected, 281 researched, 78 resolved. Report of 5 November 2026, method 0.1.0+28da144b.

Scores by kind of claim

Each kind of claim is scored on its own, out of 100: the share that held up, with the range it likely falls in. Fewer resolved claims give a wider range.

  • Factual claims

    Statements about the present or the past, checked against the record: did they hold up?

    85 79 91

    High confidence, 51 factual claims resolved. From 14 documents, 2001 to 2026; 15 documents sampled from 31 candidates found.

    Not scored: 51 unresolvable, 45 checkable only against their own records.

  • Predictions

    Statements about events outside the person's control, checked once they fell due: did they come true?

    78 65 89

    Low confidence, 14 predictions resolved. From 6 documents, 2001 to 2024; 15 documents sampled from 31 candidates found.

    Not scored: 71 unresolvable, 2 checkable only against their own records. 10 more fall due later.

    Does not yet allow for how likely each prediction was when made.

  • Promises

    Commitments to the person's or organisation's own future action, with something to deliver: was it delivered?

    72 57 85

    Low confidence, 12 promises resolved. From 7 documents, 2001 to 2026; 15 documents sampled from 31 candidates found.

    Not scored: 17 unresolvable, 4 not yet due, 1 checkable only against their own records.

  • Guidance

    A company's own figures for its results over a period, checked against what it then reported.

    Insufficient record: 1 guidance claim resolved, 5 needed for a score.

    Not scored: 2 unresolvable.

All types combined: 82 (likely 76 to 87, high confidence), from 77 claims: 51 factual claims, 14 predictions, 12 promises. It mixes kinds of claim in different proportions for different people, so compare people kind by kind.

Warren Buffett's claims

1,556 claims, sorted by newest said. Choose a claim to read it in full.
VerdictKindSaidClaimTopic
Not researched Factual 5 May 2024 Berkshire Hathaway lost money on its Paramount investment. Factual · 5 May 2024 Economics and markets
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 Omaha is a railroad town. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 We can’t buy 90% or 80% or anything like that. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 you can’t solve everything in life. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 And if 800 other companies had done the same thing, no other person in the United States would have had to pay a dime of federal taxes… Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 there really isn’t any alternative to the dollar as a reserve currency. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 we do not want to try and have 200 people around that are managing a billion each. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 So we love owning a business like that. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 He has to tell the directors about what should be done if anything happens to him. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 That’s just the cost of doing business. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not yet due Prediction 5 May 2024 The next major financial crisis will occur within a century, though timing is unknown. Prediction · 5 May 2024 Economics and markets
Not researched Factual 5 May 2024 Buffett said Berkshire has had some experience with distribution businesses and knows, to a degree, their potential and their limitations. Factual · 5 May 2024 Economics and markets
Not researched Factual 5 May 2024 Plane crashes are rare, while car crashes happen all the time. Factual · 5 May 2024 Other
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 If they pick the right CEO, that’s 99% of the job of the directors. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not yet due Prediction 5 May 2024 Over the next century no company will be dramatically better than others in returns. Prediction · 5 May 2024 Economics and markets
Not researched Citation 5 May 2024 The basic principle of Buffett's investing approach was laid out by Ben Graham in a book Buffett bought for a couple of dollars. Citation · 5 May 2024 Their own work or organisation
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 What you should probably ask yourself is that who do you feel that you’d want to start spending the last day of your life with? Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 And the power of that genie is what, you know, scares the hell out of me. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 And I don’t think it would have come down that way without him. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not researched Factual 5 May 2024 Buffett described images that reproduced him and delivered a message that did not come from him. Factual · 5 May 2024 AI safety and alignment
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 I feel very, very, very good about how things have turned out. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 Well, too bad you didn’t add that. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not researched Factual 5 May 2024 In the 1990s, statistics from Ty Cobb's playing days were found to have been faulty, and he actually batted .366 because a couple of bad at-bats had not been counted. Factual · 5 May 2024 Other
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 And he understands businesses extremely well. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 It’s sort of like Charlie said about marrying the best person that will have you. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 But we’re not going to throw good money after bad in the field. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 It’s happened, and you get to live the rest of [your] life, and you don’t know how long it’s going to be. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 Don’t wear out all your clapping on Charlie. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 Find the person that you like to share your life with in many cases. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 find the job that you would like to have if you didn’t need a job. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 the right CEO can’t make a terrible business great. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 they’d be collecting $8 billion a year from people who aren’t getting any dividends from us. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 We’re not positioned, though, however, to earn extraordinary returns versus what American business generally earns. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 I can’t remember any time that he was mad at me or I was mad at him. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not researched Factual 5 May 2024 The US federal corporate tax rate was 35% not long ago and was 52% at times during Buffett's career. Factual · 5 May 2024 Economics and markets
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 The problem is I really don’t know anything about AI, obviously. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not researched Factual 5 May 2024 Union Pacific, BNSF's main competitor, fell far behind 20 or 25 years ago. Factual · 5 May 2024 Economics and markets
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 So we do not feel uncomfortable in any way, shape or form putting our money into Canada. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not researched Factual 5 May 2024 Four American presidents died intestate, without wills. Factual · 5 May 2024 Philosophy, ethics and society
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 But they don’t have a, they don’t have a mental, we don’t have any mental blocks about that country. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Unresolvable Prediction 5 May 2024 With a million dollars, an investor who studies small companies could earn 50% a year. Prediction · 5 May 2024 Economics and markets
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 But if you’re thinking that way, you’re more likely to get there. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 I think I’ve missed a lot of stuff in the past, so I’m actually wiser about doing that now. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 I mean, scamming has always been part of the American scene, but this would make me, if I was interested in investing in scamming, [think]… Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 should be reasonably easy if you just don’t get talked out of doing what has worked in the past Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 Good question. I’m glad you came. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not researched Factual 5 May 2024 In 2008 Berkshire had capital, eagerness to act, and a government that viewed it as an asset rather than a liability. Factual · 5 May 2024 Economics and markets
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 I don’t know anything about AI Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 And if you copy the right people, you’re off to a great start. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 There’s a great advantage in not knowing where you’re going, what day you’re going to die. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 I haven’t been able to do that. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 But GEICO and Progressive has done a better job [at] that recently. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 But in utilities, the trade has been, the compact has been that you get a modest return. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 our managers do not have necessarily the same equations in mind that we do. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 Anybody that says I did it all myself is just kidding. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 If something happened to Greg today, everybody says, don’t travel on the same plane. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 Over time, Charlie and I, we missed a lot of things, and what we really regretted was missing something that [should have been] very big. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 I would try and know everything about everything small, and I would find something. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 But from that, he built an incredible company, and he built it because he was the best manager I’ve ever met. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 There are other things that we own that we aren’t in for keeps. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not researched Factual 5 May 2024 More than 99% of Warren Buffett's wealth is going to philanthropy. Factual · 5 May 2024 Philosophy, ethics and society
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 And there will be occasional times when we’re the only one willing to act. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not researched Factual 5 May 2024 Carol has edited Berkshire's annual report from 1977 through this year's report. Factual · 5 May 2024 Their own work or organisation
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 But I think the responsibility ought to be entirely with Greg. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 We only swing at pitches we like. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 We didn’t learn how to run a department store. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Unresolvable Prediction 5 May 2024 Buffett said he did not think "we" would end up with a better system, speaking in the context of Berkshire's real estate brokerage business. Prediction · 5 May 2024 Economics and markets
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 And Ty Cobb, .367 is immortal. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 I salute her. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 It’s obviously, if it’s used in a pro-social way, it’s got terrific benefits to society. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 But we’re not in the business of going out after small acquisitions Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 I’m not sure that the world will be better off if I’m richer Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 So it’s probably the most important letter ever written Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not researched Factual 5 May 2024 Charlie Munger twice pounded the table urging Buffett to buy, once for BYD and once for Costco. Factual · 5 May 2024 Their own work or organisation
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 It doesn’t bother me in the least to write that check. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 He behaved wonderfully with Berkshire. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Resolved true Factual 5 May 2024 Buffett said he was responsible for the purchase and for the operation until Greg Abel took over. Factual · 5 May 2024 Their own work or organisation
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 So I just want to tell you that it’s inspiring to work for a group of shareholders Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not researched Factual 5 May 2024 Coca-Cola does business around the world to a degree few companies match, being the preferred soft drink in roughly 170 to 180 of 200 countries. Factual · 5 May 2024 Economics and markets
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 See’s Candy was also a study of consumer behavior. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Unresolvable Prediction 5 May 2024 Buffett, who said he does not really know anything about AI, said it will affect anything labor-intensive and can create an enormous amount of leisure time. Prediction · 5 May 2024 AI, the economy and work
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 So I don’t have any advice on how the world handles it because I don’t think we know how to handle what we did with the nuclear genie. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not researched Factual 5 May 2024 Berkshire released its first-quarter 2024 results on the morning of the meeting at 7:00 am Central time. Factual · 5 May 2024 Their own work or organisation
Resolved false Promise 5 May 2024 Poor Charlie's Almanack will be the only book at the Berkshire meeting bookstore next year. Promise · 5 May 2024 Their own work or organisation
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 I don’t think anybody sitting at this table has any idea of how to use it effectively. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 And then, but he filled in all the blanks in my mind as I sat there on that Saturday afternoon. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 Yeah, no, obviously there aren’t as many big companies up there as there are in the United States. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 Yeah, we still will want to buy real estate brokerages at the right price Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 And the value it offers is incredible. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 I mean, if accidents get reduced 50%, it’s going to be good for society and it’s going to be bad for insurance companies. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 The one thing lawyers will always tell you is don’t use codicils. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Unresolvable Prediction 5 May 2024 Solar will never be the only source of electricity, barring real breakthroughs in storage. Prediction · 5 May 2024 Technology
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 If he’d been a jerk, you know, we’d have quit the textile business much faster, and we’d have been better off. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 And I always tell students to take the job. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 90% of the people need help in buying a home or selling one. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not researched Factual 5 May 2024 The donor's gift lets 100-plus students, eventually closer to 150, start out debt-free. Factual · 5 May 2024 Philosophy, ethics and society
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 And their job is to make sure the lights stay on. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not researched Factual 5 May 2024 Buffett is not running a hedge fund or receiving an override (performance fee) on managing money. Factual · 5 May 2024 Their own work or organisation
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 I knew they didn’t like to buy it, but I knew they couldn’t drive without it. Not checkable · 5 May 2024
Not checkable Not checkable 5 May 2024 But the electric utility industry will never be as good as, I mean, just remotely as good as, you know, the kind of businesses we own in… Not checkable · 5 May 2024
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Factual Economics and markets

“we lost money on Paramount”

Warren Buffett, Berkshire chairman 5 May 2024 Transcript: Berkshire's 2024 annual shareholder meeting (Steady Compounding)

Berkshire Hathaway lost money on its Paramount investment.

Not researched Checkable, but outside the sample that was researched.

Said for an organisation they lead or work for; it counts on both records.

Cite this claim

Warren Buffett, “Berkshire Hathaway lost money on its Paramount investment.” (said 5 May 2024). Verdict: not researched. Reliability API, claim c_43edb880417c, method 0.1.0+28da144b. https://epistacklabs.com/claims/c_43edb880417c

Claims without a verdict

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