We Study Billionaires - The Investors Podcast

Stig has invited legendary investor Chris Bloomstran from Semper Augustus to teach us how to value Berkshire Hathaway on today's show. Semper Augustus has an outstanding track record with a compounded annual growth rate of 12.4% on equities since its fund's inception on 2/28/1999, compared to 8.5% for the S&P 500. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:04:25 - What the intrinsic value of Berkshire Hathaway is, and what type of return you can get going forward 00:21:39 - Chris’s opinion on Greg Abel’s first letter to shareholders 00:38:39 - How should Berkshire management be compensated? 01:05:36 - How to think about valuing OpenAI 01:12:42 - Why S&P 500 share buybacks don’t benefit investors 01:22:53 - Thinking about investing risk from sudden loss vs. the slow decline of an asset manager 01:29:03 - Why Buffett reads Chris’s annual letter Disclaimer: Slight discrepancies in the timestamps may occur due to podcast platform differences. BOOKS AND RESOURCES Join the exclusive ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Shawn O'Malley and Daniel Mahncke explore CoStar Group (ticker: CSGP), the dominant provider of commercial real estate data and analytics, and assess whether the company's massive $5 billion bet on Homes.com can successfully crack the residential real estate market dominated by Zillow, or whether this ambitious expansion will destroy shareholder value. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:42 - Why the company has delivered nearly 60 consecutive quarters of double-digit revenue growth 00:09:17 - How CoStar built a dominant, near-monopoly position in commercial real estate data and analytics 00:18:30 - How CoStar generates roughly 50% profit margins on its core B2B business 00:44:12 - What makes CoStar's data moat so durable and difficult for competitors to replicate 00:48:12 - How the company's acquisition-driven strategy has fueled decades of growth 00:56:22 - Why CoStar is investing $5 billion into Homes.com to take on Zillow and Realtor.com 00:58:21 - Competitive landscape in the residenti

On today's episode, Clay is joined by Daniel Mahncke to discuss the companies they find most interesting in today’s market. They discuss Mercado Libre’s long-term growth potential, Amazon’s expanding earnings power driven by AI and robotics, and how AI could impact Constellation Software and other related companies. They wrap up the discussion by touching on a company that AI is very unlikely to disrupt — Hermès. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro00:10:08 - Why Mercado Libre continues to grow rapidly despite short-term margin pressure00:17:19 - How Mercado Libre’s ecosystem creates long-term advantages in e-commerce and fintech00:25:06 - Why Amazon’s investments in AI and robotics could significantly expand margins00:23:21 - How AWS and AI infrastructure demand position Amazon for long-term growth01:07:40 - The real risks AI poses to SaaS and vertical market software businesses00:40:03 - Why companies like Constellation Software may remain more resilient than investors fear01:14:20 - Daniel’s tho

Daniel Mahncke, Shawn O'Malley, and Kyle Grieve take a closer look at the Intrinsic Value Portfolio and some of the high-priority watchlist companies. The episode covers high-conviction portfolio holdings such as Airbnb, Universal Music Group, Reddit, and Exor, as well as watchlist companies like FICO, Trade Desk, and Nintendo. They also cover companies that might need to leave the portfolio today. Candidates are TransDigm and Copart. For each, the question is the same: what are the key points of the investment thesis, has the thesis held up, and does the current valuation still make sense? IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:05:10 - The key thesis behind Exor 00:16:16 - The key thesis behind TransDigm and our thoughts on Copart 00:33:05 - The key thesis behind Reddit 00:43:54 - The key thesis behind Airbnb 01:01:41 - The key thesis behind Universal Music Group 01:13:54 - Our thoughts on Trade Desk 01:27:42 - Our thoughts on FICO 01:36:40 - Our thoughts on Nintendo Disclaimer: Slight discrepa

In this episode, William Green talks with Matthew McLennan, who oversees about $130 billion at First Eagle Investments. Matt is head of the firm’s Global Value team & a portfolio manager of its Global Value, Global Equity, International Value, International Equity & US Value strategies. Here, he explores how to build resilient wealth by patiently holding a “non-uniform” portfolio of scarce assets that should endure & prosper even in difficult conditions. This episode provides a time-tested survival strategy for investors looking to navigate this period of extreme uncertainty. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro00:02:14 - Why Matthew McLennan thinks investors should prepare for turmoil.00:17:43 - How to construct a resilient portfolio by thinking like a gardener.00:19:38 - Why Matt loves businesses with scarce assets in mundane industries.00:23:02 - Why survival is the key to investment success.00:23:33 - How cash & gold provide a ballast in the event of unexpected storms.00:26:28 - Why he’s wary o

Kyle Grieve is joined by co-host Daniel Mahncke to discuss Wise PLC, a London-listed FinTech company that enables cheap and fast cross-border payments by matching local flows rather than moving money internationally through costly SWIFT networks. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:04:45 - The clever mechanism Wise uses to move money without actually crossing borders 00:09:14 - Why two Estonians at a London party ended up disrupting global banking 00:13:44 - How Wise earns revenue from four streams 00:21:44 - Which of Wise's three competitor industries is the most threatening and why 00:26:04 - How fast payments have become at Wise 00:42:12 - Why deliberately lowering your own prices can be a sign of business strength 01:08:12 - The flywheel that makes Wise harder to beat, the larger it grows 01:10:35 - What to make of the CEO controversy 01:23:51 - How Wise's capital allocation stacks up against Buffett's ultimate litmus test 01:30:26 - What the numbers suggest investors could earn holding W

Kyle discusses Stock Market Maestros, revealing that elite fund managers succeed not by picking winners the majority of the time, but by making dramatically more on their wins than they lose on their losses. Through profiling world-class fund managers, the book proves that disciplined execution, such as how you size, hold, and exit positions, ultimately matters more than stock selection itself. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:03:43 - The five investor archetypes and why behavior determines investing success 00:06:37 - How three key metrics identify truly skilled investors from lucky ones 00:09:36 - Why a 49% hit rate can still massively outperform the market 00:10:01 - How the best investors make 1.87x more on winners than losers 00:11:06 - Why riding winners longer matters more than finding the next great idea 00:12:59 - How different selling strategies suit different investing styles and timeframes 00:18:20 - Why losers consume disproportionate mental energy relative to portfolio weight 0

On today's episode, Clay is joined by Daniel Mahncke to break down Kinsale Capital. Kinsale is a specialty insurer that has quietly become one of the most exceptional businesses in the financial sector by dominating the Excess & Surplus insurance market. Clay and Daniel break down the DNA of this wonderful business, and if the recent drawdown in the stock is a compelling opportunity for value investors. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:03:32 - An overview of the insurance industry and how Kinsale fits into the bigger picture 00:17:32 - The durable competitive advantages that Kinsale has built 00:20:19 - The advantages of keeping underwriting in-house in the Excess & Surplus market 00:35:04 - What is driving Kinsale’s incredibly low combined ratio 00:39:29 - Why it’s focus on the E&S market and smaller accounts is a moat in itself 01:07:25 - Kinsale’s valuation and primary risks to monitor for investors Disclaimer: Slight discrepancies in the timestamps may occur due to podcast platform

Kyle Grieve discusses key mental models from economics and art and how they apply to investing and decision-making. He explores economic concepts such as scarcity, supply and demand, optimization, specialization, efficiency, competition, and bubbles, illustrating them with real-world business examples. Then he shifts gears to art, examining things such as audience, contrast, framing, and narrative, emphasizing how they shape investor behaviour and decision-making. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:03:22 - How scarcity drives value and luxury brands engineer demand 00:07:40 - Why Costco wins by reducing scarcity and leveraging scale 00:09:03 - How supply and demand influence stock prices and volatility 00:10:53 - Why economic cycles impact nearly all businesses over time 00:12:38 - How COVID reshaped demand across industries and markets 00:14:19 - The risks of cyclical investing and the benefits of steady compounders 00:15:34 - How optimization can backfire in business and biology 00:

In today’s episode, Kyle Grieve discusses the speculative boom of the 1960s “Go-Go Years” as presented in John Brooks’ book, highlighting the dangers of euphoria, leverage, and financial engineering. He explores case studies like Ross Perot, Edward Gilbert, Atlantic Acceptance, and Gerry Tsai to reveal how incentives, momentum, and fraud can distort markets. The episode ultimately emphasizes timeless investing lessons around valuation discipline, skepticism, and aligning incentives with long-term outcomes. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:02 - About the Nifty Fifty’s rise and the dangers of extreme valuation multiples 00:03:34 - Why great businesses can still be poor investments at high prices 00:05:07 - About Ross Perot’s EDS and the psychology of ignoring market volatility 00:09:45 - The dangers of leverage through Edward Gilbert’s collapse 00:16:13 - Why sharing stock ideas can create unintended consequences 00:19:32 - How fraud fueled Atlantic Acceptance’s explosive growth 00:29:17 -

In today’s episode, Kyle Grieve discusses lessons from venture capital that long-term value investors can apply to improve decision-making. He explores concepts such as power laws, network effects, de-risking investments, and the importance of holding high-potential businesses. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:03:23 - How venture capital power laws shape investing returns and portfolio outcomes 00:06:19 - Why a tiny number of winners dominate most long-term investing results 00:08:41 - Why selling potential power-law winners early can severely damage portfolio performance 00:08:41 - How modest portfolio contributors can evolve into massive long-term winners 00:09:21 - Why accepting losses is the cost of capturing outsized investing returns 00:11:25 - How Moore’s Law and Metcalfe’s Law create powerful technology-driven investment opportunities 00:13:34 - Why investors should scale positions as businesses become progressively de-risked 00:25:41 - How unpopular or overlooked businesses can ge

On today's episode, Clay is joined by François Rochon to discuss his 2025 annual letter and the key themes shaping markets in 2025. He also digs into his top holdings, including Constellation Software, Alphabet, and Meta. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:18 - François's key takeaways and lessons from 2025 00:03:58- Why François views AI as a revolution on par with the early internet 00:07:04 - The circular investment dynamic in AI infrastructure and what it means for companies like Nvidia 00:11:46 - How Alphabet and Meta are using massive capex spending to both defend and grow their businesses 00:17:52 - Why François believes shares of Constellation Software are cheap despite the AI-driven sell-off in software stocks 00:30:03 - What made Mark Leonard one of François's favorite CEOs 00:42:09 - Why François sold CarMax after 18 years 01:11:29 - The three essential qualities every successful long-term investor must develop Disclaimer: Slight discrepancies in the timestamps may occur due to

Kyle Grieve discusses the remarkable story of the Davis Dynasty, a multi-generational investing family that compounded wealth through discipline, focus, and a deep understanding of insurance businesses. He explores the philosophies of Shelby Davis, his son Shelby Cullom Davis, and his grandson Chris Davis. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:44 - How and why Shelby Davis entered investing later in life 00:06:31 - Why frugality shaped Davis’s investing philosophy 00:11:57 - How insurance became Davis’s core compounding engine 00:14:54 - Why stocks beat bonds during inflationary decades 00:17:16 - How Davis utilized leverage 00:20:20 - What the “Davis Double Play” is and how to use it 00:34:58 - Why an early winning track record can be a dangerous thing 00:54:26 - How a few long-held businesses created the Davis dynasty’s wealth Disclaimer: Slight discrepancies in the timestamps may occur due to podcast platform differences. BOOKS AND RESOURCES Join the exclusive ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this episode, Clay breaks down the fascinating history and business model of Nintendo, one of the most iconic entertainment companies in the world. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:58 - How Nintendo evolved from a playing card company into one of the world’s most influential gaming businesses 00:14:13 - How movies, theme parks, and mobile apps help extend Nintendo’s intellectual property 00:22:48 - The strategic shift from one-time console sales to recurring revenue 00:26:21 - Why the Switch 2 could expand Nintendo’s ecosystem 00:29:25 - How the Nintendo Switch transformed the company’s business model and profitability 00:47:00 - Why iconic franchises like Mario, Zelda, and Pokémon form the foundation of Nintendo’s competitive moat 00:52:51 - Whether Nintendo’s current valuation offers an attractive opportunity for long-term investors Disclaimer: Slight discrepancies in the timestamps may occur due to podcast platform differences. BOOKS AND RESOURCES Join the exclusive ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Kyle Grieve discusses the life and career of legendary capital allocator John Malone and details the at times complex strategies that helped him compound capital over decades. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:03:55 - How Malone uncovered fraud and took over Jerrold 00:06:20 - Why risk assessment shaped his “what if not” framework 00:09:21 - How he chose TCI over higher-paying offers 00:11:29 - Creative leverage strategies to survive heavy debt 00:13:23 - Why EBITDA helped reframe TCI’s cash economics 00:55:17 - How clustering acquisitions built regional cable dominance 00:18:51 - The Liberty Media spinoff and tax-efficient structuring 00:44:06 - Asymmetric bets that created massive upside for shareholders 00:34:34 - Lessons from disruption and Netflix’s streaming threat 00:48:54 - Malone’s thoughts on leadership, decentralization, and long-term capital allocation Disclaimer: Slight discrepancies in the timestamps may occur due to podcast platform differences. BOOKS AND RES

Clay explores Bill Perkins’ book Die with Zero, which challenges the traditional mindset of accumulating wealth at all costs and instead encourages readers to think more intentionally about how and when they spend their money. In the second segment, Clay shifts gears to analyze Linde PLC, the global industrial gas powerhouse. He explains why Linde may represent an attractive opportunity in today’s market. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:40 - Why optimizing for life experiences may matter more than maximizing net worth 00:23:56 - Why you should consider giving money to your kids earlier in life rather than later 00:27:28 - The tradeoff between compounding money and compounding memories 00:31:26 - The concept of time-bucketing your life to maximize fulfillment 00:35:42 - An overview of Linde PLC’s business and its strong competitive position 00:46:56 - Why Linde is an attractive opportunity to consider with AI disrupting so many different industries Disclaimer: Slight discrepancies in

Stig is joined by Tobias Carlisle and Hari Ramachandra for a new round of stock pitches. They discuss Berkshire, Moody's and BellRing Brands. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:35 - Stig’s bull case for Berkshire: balance sheet, culture, and Greg Abel (NYSE: BRK.B) 00:27:09 - Berkshire bear case: slowing growth and capital allocation risks 00:30:47 - Tobias’ bull case for BellRing: FCF, protein brand strength, PE appeal (NYSE: BRBR) 00:38:30 - BellRing bear case: concentration, leverage, consumer shifts 00:47:02 - Hari’s bull case for Moody’s: moat, duopoly, recurring analytics (NYSE: MCO) 00:50:20 - Moody’s bear case: valuation, cyclicality, regulation, AI risk Disclaimer: Slight discrepancies in the timestamps may occur due to podcast platform differences. BOOKS AND RESOURCES Join the exclusive ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TIP Mastermind Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to engage in meaningful stock

Kyle discusses the investing evolution of John Maynard Keynes and the timeless lessons modern investors can draw from his successes and failures. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:03:50 - Why John Maynard Keynes is such a fascinating case study in evolving as an investor 00:08:28 - A key resource that helped him think of assets from a bottom-up approach 00:10:59 - Why Keynes's experiences of going broke multiple times helped shape him into a long-term thinker 00:17:13 - How he thought about speculation and investing, and used that to beat the market 00:28:16 - How he improved his temperament, overcame overconfidence, and adopted a long-term mindset 00:36:21 - His thoughts on diversification and reducing risk 00:41:30 - Why he believed that markets were social systems, and the errors that exposed investors to 00:50:25 - What he thought about short-term volatility 01:01:16 - Why Keynes used adaptability as such a powerful tool 01:03:50 - Six impactful takeaways Disclaimer: Slight discrepa

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William Green highlights essential truths about investing, business & life that emerged from two of his favorite interviews with Howard Marks and Nima Shayegh. This episode also explores powerful lessons on resilience from Bill Miller & Epictetus. IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:04:31 - How investing legend Howard Marks views the euphoria over AI 00:11:10 - What potential mistakes he warns against in this environment 00:13:23 - What essential lessons William Green has learned from Howard 00:23:00 - How Howard keeps an even keel amid extreme uncertainty 00:26:09 - Why Howard, like Einstein, doesn’t think much about the future 00:34:19 - Why investing early & not “tampering” is the key to success 00:38:39 - How Nima Shayegh looks beyond numbers to find great stocks 00:44:19 - How to harness intuition & emotion in the investment process 00:49:13 - How products from Tesla & Amazon inspire “blown-awayness” 00:57:10 - What Nima learned from his famed mentor, Lou Simpson 01:04:38 - How Lou’s succe