Charlie Munger, the longtime vice chairman and second-in-command to Warren Buffett at Berkshire Hathaway, died at a California hospital. Munger was 99, and would have turned 100 on January 1. He died peacefully, Berkshire said. No cause has been given.
“Berkshire Hathaway could not have been built to its present status without Charlie’s inspiration, wisdom and participation,” Buffett, Berkshire’s chairman and chief executive said in a statement.
Munger had been a Berkshire vice chairman since 1978, working closely with Buffett on allocating the Omaha, Nebraska-based conglomerate’s capital, and being quick to tell him when he was making a mistake.
The death of Munger is unlikely to have a major impact on Berkshire’s operations. Two other vice chairmen, Greg Abel and Ajit Jain, have day-to-day oversight of Berkshire’s dozens of operating businesses. Abel is expected to become chief executive once Buffett is no longer in charge.
A number of investors and business educators from across the globe have expressed their condolences over Munger’s demise. Top investor and educator Whitney Tilson has said, “A generation of investment managers was drawn to Munger and Buffett’s meetings and letters in order to try an become better stock pickers and make more money. But what really glued us to these men was their advice on living a full life by instructing people how to think clearly, to be honest with oneself, to learn from mistakes and to avoid calamities.”
Brian Moynihan, CEO, BANK OF AMERICA said, “Charlie Munger was a legendary figure in the investment community.” “There are many who benefited greatly from his wisdom.”