8 Warren Buffett Quotes You Didn’t Know
The famous investor Warren Buffett, who retired as CEO of the conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway at the end of 2025, got the nickname “Oracle of Omaha” for a good reason. For more than half a century, Buffett has been a source of wisdom on investing, spending, saving, business, debt, inflation and more in the form of shareholder meetings and letters, as well as prepared and off-the-cuff remarks.
Over the years, many of his quotes have been reused and repeated by other corporate titans and business writers. Still, that leaves no shortage of aphorisms, insights, quips and zingers from Buffett. Here are some that are underrated.
In investing
Buffett was best known for his success at Berkshire Hathaway and his investment strategies. Here are some of his thoughts on investing:
- “Don’t try to drive a 9,800-pound truck over a bridge that says… ‘Strength: 10,000 pounds.’ But go down the road a little bit and you find, ‘Capacity: 15,000 pounds.’” (Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting, 1996, while discussing “margin of safety”)
- “Great opportunities come rarely. When it rains gold, reach for the bucket, not the stick.” (Letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, 2009)
- “Our recommendation regarding the use of advisors is always: ‘Don’t ask the barber if you need a haircut.'”(Letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, 2009)
- “A lesson for investors: Weeds fade in importance as flowers bloom. Over time, it takes a few winners to do wonders.” (Letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, 2022)
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Price
Buffett was a proponent of value investing, which involves buying stocks that trade for less than they’re worth. Here are some of his thoughts on value:
- “In our opinion, it is foolish to risk losing what you need in pursuit of what you desire.” (Letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, 2014)
- “There is none of us [Buffett and Charlie Munger, former Berkshire vice chair ] feel any urgency to buy the $1 value at the actual price of 95 cents.” (Letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, 2019)
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In retirement
Now that Buffett has retired, here’s what he said about retirement over the years:
- “At Harvard Business School last year, a student asked me when I planned to retire and I replied, ‘About five to ten years after I die.'” (Letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, 1991)
- “I appreciate those extraordinary Berkshire managers who work past retirement years and at the same time achieve better results than their younger competitors… It’s hard to teach a new dog old tricks.” (Letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, 1992)
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