About The Author For this book, Buffett and his children, Howard, Susie and Peter, and sisters Doris and Bertie talked about their lives, past and present. Susie gets extra credit for sifting through digitized family photos to find important images, and Devon Buffett also provided valuable material. Buffett’s longtime partner Charlie Munger held forth, still with a soft spot for his hometown despite, or because of, his long residence in California. Early shareholders were generous with their time and records, including Dick Holland, Stan Truhlsen, John and Janice Cleary, Carl Mammel, Chuck Peterson, Bill Scott and George Payne. Good-natured Bob Falk and Bob Spittler spoke about their fathers deciding not to invest with Buffett. Omaha stockbroker Jim Kineen, good friend Willie Young and adult education guru Mike Beilis provided early documents and tips. Omaha business leaders Mike Harper, David Brown, Beverly Kracher and Walter Scott added perspective, right on the money as usual. And without the help of Buffett’s administrative assistant, Debbie Bosanek, who knows when you might be reading this. I’ve worn out my copies of the Buffett biographies by Alice Schroeder, Roger Lowenstein and Andy Kilpatrick, who kept my timelines straight and true. I learned to appreciate the value of a good index. Doris Buffett’s genealogy book traced an intriguing family history. I’m grateful that Executive Editor Mike Reilly and Money editor Deborah Shanahan lightened my daily newspaper load for seven months for this project. Dan Sullivan’s shepherd-style editing and Christine Zueck-Watkins’ elegant layout were vital ingredients. Finally, the family of a newspaperman adjusts so well to absence and distractedness that the joyful task of writing a book didn’t faze Helen, Leland, Ingrid, Jin, Brandon and Mabel. As far as I could tell.
Steve Jordon joined The World-Herald in 1967 as an intern and became a full-time reporter after graduating from the University of Nebraska. He reported on law enforcement, the courts and education early in his career and has covered business for the past 35 years, including 10 years as business editor. A native of West Virginia, Jordon came to Omaha with an Air Force family and graduated from Bellevue High School. He has lived in Omaha’s Benson area since 1968. He is former president of the Omaha Press Club and a trustee of its scholarship foundation, taught reporting and news writing at Creighton University and advised the University of Nebraska at Omaha student newspapers and Junior Achievement’s J.A. Journal. His work has been recognized by the University of Nebraska at Omaha, the Associated Press, the Society of American Business Editors & Writers and the American Society of Newspaper Editors, among others. His family includes Helen, his wife of 45 years; son and daughter-in-law Staff Sergeant Leland and Jin Jordon of Washington, D.C.; and daughter and son-in-law Ingrid and Brandon Jordon-Thaden and granddaughter Mabel Thaden of Albany, Calif.
acknowledgements 213