At 94, Warren Buffett Shares His Biggest Lesson-And It Might Just Save Your Portfolio

Warren Buffett, the 94-year-old chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, presided over his 60th annual shareholders’ meeting on Saturday, offering wide-ranging insights on trade, investment strategy, fiscal policy, and the global economy. The meeting drew thousands of investors to Omaha, as Buffett reflected on the current state of markets and shared his signature plainspoken wisdom.

On Trade: “Balanced Trade is Good for the World”
Buffett underscored the importance of global cooperation in commerce.
“Balanced trade is good for the world… Trade can be an act of war… In the United States, we should be looking to trade with the rest of the world. We want a prosperous world,” he said, emphasizing the value of open economic exchange amid rising protectionism.

On U.S. Exceptionalism: “We’re All Pretty Lucky”
Buffett credited much of his success to the fortune of being born in America.
“The luckiest day in my life is the day I was born… in the United States,” he said, joking, “If I were being born today, I would just keep negotiating in the womb until [they] said you can be in the United States.”

Reflecting on American resilience, he added:
“We’ve gone through great recessions, world wars, and the atomic bomb… I would not get discouraged.”

On Investment Opportunities: “We’re Very Opportunistic”
Buffett revealed that Berkshire nearly made a $10 billion deal recently and remains ready to deploy $100 billion if the right opportunity arises.
“We’re running a business which is very, very, very opportunistic,” he said, acknowledging that good deals rarely come in an orderly fashion.

On Securities vs Real Estate: “Not the Most Interesting Thing”
The investing legend made it clear he prefers the liquidity and diversity of securities over real estate.
“In the United States, there’s so much more opportunity that presents itself in the security market,” he noted, explaining that real estate deals often involve emotional sellers, long timelines, and complex negotiations.  “For a guy of 94, it’s not the most interesting thing to get involved in.”

On Currency and Fiscal Risk: “Fiscal Policy Scares Me”
Buffett warned about deteriorating fiscal discipline in the U.S.
“Fiscal policy is what scares me in the United States,” he said.

On currencies, he added:
“Obviously we wouldn’t want to be owning anything that we thought was in a currency that was really going to hell.”
He noted that depending on international investments, Berkshire could diversify into foreign currencies if needed.

On Market Swings: “Check Your Emotions at the Door”
Calling recent market fluctuations “nothing dramatic,” Buffett urged investors to remain emotionally disciplined.
“If you get frightened by markets that decline and get excited when stock markets go up… People have emotions, but you’ve got to check them at the door when you invest.”

On Wealth and Risk: “You Only Have to Get Rich Once”
Buffett ended with a timeless reminder on wealth preservation:
“You only have to get rich once. I mean, you don’t… want to do anything that risks that.”

Read This Also: Inside Warren Buffett’s 60th AGM: What’s Next for Berkshire Hathaway?