It’s a Fireside with the host today; Christian Billinger is asking questions, and I’m answering. You need to look up earlier editions with Matt Zeigler who started this new Talking Billions tradition, and Mattew Stafford. I’ll also mention that the next Fireside chat will be hosted by none other than John Rotonti, who recently gave the Ultimate Stockpicking Masterclass on Talking Billions. John and Matt have their podcast — please look them up as well, I could listen to both all day any day.
It’s a longer episode today. We really wanted to keep it under an hour, but we were having too much fun, so we kept going. I briefly thought about splitting it into two, but who am I to decide how you choose to listen. If you have a longer drive or flight ahead of you, and want to listen to all of it in one sitting, just as we recorded it, do that, if you want to spend a weekend with me and Christian, and start on Friday, end on Monday morning on the way to school or work or you walk, do that. That choice is yours, but do listen till the end; there are some golden nuggets buried deep at the end. That’s all I will say.
Christian and I attended the same investor event in Zurich last summer, John Mihaljevic’s MOI Global. We met again in Omaha days before the Berkshire Hathaway meeting, and shared a beverage, and a great conversation.
I highly recommend Christian’s earlier episode on Talking Billions, where he shares how he invests.
Christian Billinger has invested in European equities for close to 20 years, and more recently for his own investment company, Billinger Forvaltning.
His investment philosophy is focused on owning a small number of great businesses for the long run, and the structure of a private investment company is, in his view, the ideal environment for pursuing this style of investing.
For more information:
https://www.billingerforvaltning.se
Today, we turn the tables, and Christian has some terrific questions that I’m sure you’ll appreciate, and enjoy.
We talk about the valuable opportunities that attending conferences and events in the investment industry provides for learning from others, building relationships, and expanding one's understanding of various investment approaches.
We discuss the distinction between large institutional managers who focus on sales and product-driven strategies and smaller independent thinkers who prioritize relationship-building and personalized services for clients.
We share insights on building relationships with clients in the investment industry, emphasizing that it is a long-term commitment requiring trust, care, and an understanding of their unique needs and goals.
We highlight that independence and innovation are crucial in creating a successful and fulfilling investment practice. Time and attention are valuable assets for investors and business owners.
I share how wealth preservation is as important as wealth creation, and it requires careful decision-making and risk management.
Christian asks me about my writing, and why I find it helpful in my investment practice.
We have a thoughtful discussion about potential new clients, how the right match between a money manager and a client matters.
We take on benchmarks and discuss the importance of fundamentals in stock analysis.
Stay tuned until the end, when we talk about dealing with underperformance and managing money.
Chapters:
Chapters
05:00 Introduction and Background
07:05 Lessons from Charlie Munger and the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting
14:22 The Value of Conferences and Events in the Investment Industry
30:30 Building Relationships with Clients in the Investment Industry
40:36 Launching Blue Infinitas Capital: Independence and Innovation in Investing
46:02 Reading vs Thinking
57:48 Wealth Creation and Preservation
01:05:02 Shifting Risk-Reward Metrics
01:13:45 Knowing When It's Enough
01:21:50 Understanding Potential Clients and Living Through Market Drawdowns
01:33:48 The Importance of a Long-Term Vision and Journey of Investing
01:41:16 Assessing Fundamentals Over Short-Term Benchmarks
01:49:53 Dealing with Underperformance by Evaluating Business Growth
Christian’s earlier appearance on Talking Billions:
Christian Billinger: Investing a Family Fortune with the Soul in the Game
Christian and I were at the same investor event in Zurich last summer, John Mihaljevic’s MOI Global. A couple of mutual friends told me I needed to have Christian on the show, and he was kind enough to say yes, and we sat down, and chatted for over an hour.
Podcast Program – Disclosure Statement
Blue Infinitas Capital, LLC is a registered investment adviser and the opinions expressed by the Firm’s employees and podcast guests on this show are their own and do not reflect the opinions of Blue Infinitas Capital, LLC. All statements and opinions expressed are based upon information considered reliable although it should not be relied upon as such. Any statements or opinions are subject to change without notice.
Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed.
Information expressed does not take into account your specific situation or objectives, and is not intended as recommendations appropriate for any individual. Listeners are encouraged to seek advice from a qualified tax, legal, or investment adviser to determine whether any information presented may be suitable for their specific situation. Past performance is not indicative of future performance.
