1 week ago
Warren Buffett’s Quote Explains Why Quality Beats Cheap Prices
Warren Buffett is a famous investor who leads Berkshire Hathaway.
He says it is better to buy a great company at a reasonable price than a weak company at a very cheap price.
A great company may keep growing for many years.
A weak company may look like a bargain but may not create much value.
Buffett once often bought struggling companies because they were inexpensive.
He later decided that owning excellent businesses was usually better for long-term results.
This idea is called buying quality at a fair price.
Buffett also believes that people with great wealth should give back to society.
Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway’s chair, is known as the “Oracle of Omaha.”
He wrote the quote in Berkshire Hathaway’s 1989 annual letter to shareholders.
The statement reflects Buffett’s shift away from buying cheap, struggling companies.
Buffett argued that excellent businesses bought at fair prices can compound wealth over time.
His philosophy emphasizes long-term ownership, quality businesses, and reasonable valuations.
- Who
- Warren Buffett, chair of Berkshire Hathaway.
- What
- Buffett’s quote explains his preference for buying excellent companies at fair prices rather than mediocre companies at very cheap prices.
- Where
- When
- The quote appeared in Buffett’s 1989 annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders.
- Why
- He was reflecting on his shift away from “cigar butt” investing after concluding that mediocre businesses generally produce poor long-term returns unless sold quickly.
Key facts
- Speaker
- Warren Buffett
- Position
- Chair of Berkshire Hathaway
- Quote source
- Berkshire Hathaway’s 1989 annual letter to shareholders
- Investment approach
- Buying wonderful companies at fair prices
- Earlier approach
- Buying cheap, struggling companies, described as “cigar butt” investing
- Core lesson
- The long-term compounding power of an excellent business can outweigh a steep initial discount
- Philanthropy
- Buffett championed giving back and practiced philanthropy through the Giving Pledge









