Curiosity, Hard Work, and the Power of Generalization

Today’s teacher is Todd Combs, Investment Manager at Berkshire Hathaway and CEO of Geico. In this episode, Todd will share lessons learned across the full arc of his career, beginning in the halls of the Florida state regulator and all the way through to the great plains of Omaha, Nebraska, home of the eternal compounder.

Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger are two of the greatest business minds in history with an eye for talent and character. If we were to sum up this class into a single topic, it would be exploring what these two investing giants saw in Todd to select him out of the almost 8 billion other people in the world.

Todd is a compounding machine and a terrific storyteller, full of insights and advice that all of us can benefit from. Please enjoy this class with Todd Combs. 

For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page here.

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Show Notes

(00:06:36) - (First question) - How Todd’s pre-college life helped shape him

(00:09:36) - Reflecting on past curiosity and how it was directed

(00:12:10) - Undergrad years and memories he holds dear to his heart

(00:13:57) - Specialization versus generalization  

(00:16:48) - Creating greatness in all fields through patience

(00:19:18) - Why Todd attended business school 

(00:26:27) - The numerous job avenues students can take to become successful investors

(00:30:53) - Rick tells the history of Blue Ridge and Tiger

(00:35:53) - How Todd's experience in short selling shaped him as an investor today

(00:41:18) - Meeting Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger 

(00:43:15) - Finding the motivation to succeed in your early career life

(00:46:38) - Todd's experience building Castle Point 

(00:55:29) - The will to keep pursuing his career after years and decades

(00:60:48) - What he thinks Buffett and Munger saw in him

(01:09:57) - What it’s been like to be mentored by Buffett and Munger through the years