First of all, Goldman, American Express and US Bancorp have repaid those TARP amounts in full, plus accrued dividends. Second, comparing Berkshire’s share of ownership in the above companies to the total amount of TARP the companies received is misleading. Granted, I’m not even sure what it means to say someone has invested in companies that have received XXX amount of TARP, but surely there is a difference between owning one share and a million. Multiplying BRKH’s % ownership in each company by the TARP amount would present a valid comparison with the dollar amount BRKH has invested in each such company. Third, Buffet’s investment in Goldman Sachs is one of the greatest investments we will ever see. Fourth, after subtracting out those who have repaid TARP, BAC and its $45 billion in TARP account for about 60% of the remaining total TARP amount. Buffet’s investment in BAC as indicated above is $67 million. Berkshire Hathaway has a balance sheet of just under $300 billion. Thus, in terms of BRKH’s total assets, the investment in BAC represents about 0.02% of Berkshire’s balance sheet. So let’s be clear: Buffet has benefited very, very, very little from the $45 billion in TARP that BAC has received.

In summary, the above chart is one of the dumber things ever posted on this website.

no prob, btw, there’s more to the story, if one follows the trail..

like this http://clusty.com/search?input-form=clusty-simple&v%3Asources=webplus&query=Club+of+Rome

always makes for interesting reading..

Nothing wrong with money making being his only purpose in life.

His good old worldly philosopher front is an insult to any intelligent person.

Just goes to show how conflicted/corrupt things have become.

Carbon cap and trade will be our final waterloo.

Well five years later, negotaitions start, 27 take-aways. After several trips to the table with little negotitating, stalemate, and a contract offer of just 10 take-aways, but major ones. And no movement on Buffetts side. They want pensions froze, health insurance costs doubled, anywhere from 3 to 8 days of vacation taken away, one holiday taken away, one floating holiday taken away, bereavment leave taken away, accident prevention manual take from Union/Employee input, and sole discretion given to management. And some major wording changes. Some show of thanks for walking into an extension. All of these take-aways, while this portion of his holdings posts $400 million + in profits, a CEO that makes a $22 million bonus this year and a $30 million next year, all the while applying for rate increase every single year, this year 13.7% rate increase.

First vote was 98% of membership saying NO!

Now I read the report above, as to how he gains his wealth also through government graft, and off the backs of his workers, guess who is paying for BNSF???????

with the map of blue/red states:
http://www.mentalfloss.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/statemapredbluer512.png

Funny correlation, eh?