Chapter 360 Invitation to Join the Board of Directors
"I'm a shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway. Would you say that makes us partners?" Lin Haoran said with a smile.
"Mr. Lin, you bought Berkshire Hathaway shares on the secondary market? How much do you own?" Buffett asked curiously.
"I hold 56,000 shares of Berkshire Hathaway," Lin Haoran continued, "based on the current share structure, I should own over 10% of the company. According to Berkshire Hathaway's published shareholder data, I should be the second-largest shareholder, just behind you, Mr. Buffett. Am I wrong?"
Lin Haoran had acquired these shares as part of his transaction with the hidden power behind Dunhao Group, a deal that had not been publicly disclosed.
Thus, it was no surprise that Buffett had been unaware.
"56,000 shares? Mr. Lin, could it be that the shares you hold were originally owned by the Altair family?" Buffett immediately made the connection, his expression one of shock.
It was widely known that the Altair family had once been the second-largest shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway, holding exactly 56,000 shares—a stake dating back many years.
Now Lin Haoran claimed to hold the same amount, making it natural for Buffett to suspect that the shares had changed hands.
"You're very astute, Mr. Buffett. That's right. I acquired my Berkshire Hathaway shares from the Altair family," Lin Haoran admitted with a smile.
"In September, when I was still in Britain, I completed a major transaction with the Altair family. I suppose you might have heard something about it?
They had plans to acquire a UK-listed company I had just taken over, but lacking sufficient funds, Mr. Altair offered me some of their corporate shareholdings in exchange.
After careful consideration, I chose to accept their 56,000 shares of Berkshire Hathaway.
Given your leadership, Mr. Buffett, I believe Berkshire Hathaway has boundless potential."
"I've studied your investment history extensively," Lin Haoran continued, "and I'm convinced that holding your company's shares will be a highly profitable decision."
"Mr. Lin, I believe you will not regret this choice," Buffett said solemnly.
After all, for an investor to choose Berkshire Hathaway was the ultimate expression of trust in Buffett himself.
"Of course! I'm certain I won't regret it!" Lin Haoran laughed.
Since acquiring the shares, Lin Haoran had kept an eye on Berkshire Hathaway's market value.
Back in September, the company was worth just over $200 million.
Now, two months later in November, its value had surged past $300 million.
In just two months, the value of Lin Haoran's holdings had risen sharply.
By next year, the company's market value was projected to exceed $500 million.
Of course, to Lin Haoran, a $300 million company was still small potatoes compared to the Berkshire Hathaway he knew would one day reach a $1 trillion valuation.
Today's figure was merely the tip of the iceberg.
"In that case, Mr. Lin, we truly are partners!" Buffett said warmly.
"As Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, I sincerely invite you to join our Board of Directors. With your shareholding, you are certainly qualified."
"Of course, I would be honored to join the board and work alongside you, Mr. Buffett," Lin Haoran replied with a smile.
Holding more than 10% of the company and being its second-largest shareholder, Lin Haoran's place on the board was indisputable.
Buffett, who maintained absolute control over Berkshire Hathaway, was never concerned about being challenged by shareholders.
The company's soul was Buffett himself—without him, Berkshire Hathaway would lose its true value.
Thus, Buffett had no fear of being overtaken.
"By the way, Mr. Lin, would you be able to visit Omaha, Nebraska sometime soon?" Buffett asked.
"Since you'll be joining the board, I'd like you to come to headquarters and meet the team."
As a man who loved thorough due diligence, Buffett had done his homework on Lin Haoran.
He knew that Lin, in less than two years, had risen from an ordinary university graduate to a top-tier tycoon.
Even Buffett admired such meteoric success.
Interestingly, Berkshire Hathaway's headquarters wasn't in New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago but in the small town of Omaha, Nebraska.
A fact that often surprised people.
Buffett had chosen to remain in Omaha because it was his hometown.
"Alright. If everything goes smoothly, I'll be heading to the United States next month.
I'll definitely visit you in Omaha then," Lin Haoran said with a nod and a smile.
"Excellent! I'll look forward to your visit. Here's my personal business card. You can contact me anytime," Buffett said, handing Lin Haoran a finely crafted card.
Lin Haoran received it with both hands, then gave Buffett one of his own cards.
"Haoran, I had no idea you and Mr. Buffett were already connected like this,"
Guo Henian said, unable to hide his amazement as he listened to the conversation.
"Yes, Uncle Guo. This is truly a wonderful coincidence," Lin Haoran laughed.
"When you mentioned Mr. Buffett's visit, I was surprised.
Originally, I had planned to visit the U.S. and perhaps pay my respects to Mr. Buffett.
I never thought I'd get to meet him here in Hong Kong first."
With December approaching, Lin Haoran was indeed planning a trip to the United States.
Steve Jobs himself had called to invite him to attend Apple's IPO bell-ringing ceremony.
As an important shareholder, Lin Haoran naturally intended to witness the historic moment firsthand.
"In that case, it seems you're connected to our Kerry Group as well,"
Guo Henian chuckled.
Since Berkshire Hathaway was a significant shareholder of Kerry Group, and Lin Haoran was a major shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway,
the connection was undeniable.
"Uncle Guo, with Mr. Buffett's endorsement, it's clear Kerry Group's future is very bright," Lin Haoran praised sincerely.
Although he didn't know exactly how high Kerry Group's valuation would climb,
he did recall that even decades later, Guo Henian remained one of Malaysia's richest men.
The Shangri-La Hotel chain under Kerry Group had become one of the world's top ten luxury hotel brands,
and the Guo family had long dominated the sugar market in Southeast Asia.
Not to mention Kerry Group's extensive real estate investments across Hong Kong and Singapore.
Clearly, Kerry Group's prospects were excellent.
No wonder Buffett and Guo Henian maintained such a good relationship.
Quietly sitting next to Lin Haoran, Guo Xiaohan listened intently without interrupting.
The more she learned about Lin Haoran,
the deeper her admiration grew.
With his astonishing achievements, Lin Haoran had already surpassed the entire Guo family's wealth.
And he had done it all through his own talent and hard work.
In her heart, Guo Xiaohan knew:
no other man could ever move her again.
Lin Haoran's brilliance was simply too dazzling.
Compared to him, other men seemed utterly mundane.
She felt lucky that her family's status was still respectable—
otherwise, standing beside Lin Haoran,
she might have felt completely unworthy.
The group continued chatting, savoring delicious Hong Kong cuisine and discussing business topics in depth.
From the way Buffett expertly handled his chopsticks,
it was clear that the investment guru was no stranger to Chinese culture.
During their conversation, Lin Haoran learned that Buffett's visit to Hong Kong was partly to inspect a local listed company.
Buffett did not disclose which company, but Lin Haoran understood the need for secrecy.
After all, Berkshire Hathaway's strategy often involved quietly acquiring significant stakes.
Leaking information could cause stock prices to fluctuate wildly, undermining their investment plans.
Although Berkshire Hathaway's current market capitalization was only around $300 million,
its real investment portfolio was worth several times that.
This was largely due to its policy of not paying dividends.
Had Berkshire Hathaway chosen to pay dividends,
its current market value would easily have been over $1 billion.
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