Dr Ansgar Cheng is a Prosthodontist and Director at Specialist Dental Group in Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre, and an Adjunct Associate Professor with the National University of Singapore. His wife, Moonlake Lee, is a director of Specialist Dental Group.
ATTENDING THE Berkshire Hathaway AGM has been an annual affair for us – and it was the fourth time for us this year.
Some people say we may be the only shareholders from Singapore to have made the trip to the event in Omaha, Nebraska so many times.
This year, apart from two missed flights at the beginning of our trip – one of which resulted in an overnight stay at Minneapolis Airport - we again had a great time in the USA, reconnecting with friends and eating!!! Not to mention shopping..
On the day of the AGM, we set out early, arriving at 5.30 am at the Qwest Centre. We weren't the earliest, though.
A queue had already formed and we learnt that the early birds were there as early as 4 am.
Weather was about 8 degrees...which wasn't exactly a great time to be standing out there.
Up to 37,000 people and 160 private jets converged on Omaha in May for the most famous AGM in the world, featuring Warren Buffett and his vice-chairman, Charlie Munger.
Nebraska Furniture Mart is the largest home furnishing store in North America. It was founded in 1937 by Mrs. B (Rose Blumkin) in Omaha, Nebraska, and she worked in the business until age 103.
In 1983, she sold a majority interest to Berkshire Hathaway. Aside from Omaha, NFM now operates stores in Kansas City and Des Moines.
Gorat's Steak House, which was founded in 1944, is best known as Warren Buffett's favorite steakhouse.
It is open specially to AGM attendees during the weekend of the AGM, and it requires reservation several months in advance.
The house specialty is the T-bone steak, which is favored by Buffett, who likes it cooked rare. Ansgar, naturally, ordered a T-bone steak when we were there.
Read Leong Chan Teik's 2008 report: WARREN BUFFETT: Our pilgrimage to visit the Sage of Omaha
