Thoughts on the Conviction of Donna Adelson

Donna Adelson was recently found guilty of murdering her son‑in‑law Dan Markel on all 3 counts. Murder, conspiracy to murder and solicitation for murder. And it took just 3 hours for the jury to find her guilty. It’s been a long lurid journey that has lasted...

The Trump Tariffs

Trump’s tariff policy seems to be one of the most stupid, asinine, dumb-headed, counterproductive, head-up-the-ass things that he has done so far. Here is why I am less concerned than you might be: The tariffs create political headlines that distract. But just...

Long Live the Shameless Cloners

In the early 2000’s Mohnish Pabrai became the first person the investment world to talk openly about an uncomfortable truth. Many investment managers – who claimed to be original thinkers were actually just copying other investors that they admired. It was...

Israel and Iran

The relationship between Israel and Iran is rooted in our collective memories. It stretches back more than 2,500 years, to when Cyrus of Persia freed the Jews from our Babylonian exile. It was the same Cyrus the Great who allowed us to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem....

The Trump Tariffs

Trump’s tariff policy seems to be one of the most stupid, asinine, dumb-headed, counterproductive, head-up-the-ass things that he has done so far. Here is why I am less concerned than you might be:The tariffs create political headlines that distract. But just as...

Greg Abel to become the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway

Following Warren Buffett at Berkshire Hathaway, Greg Abel has big shoes to fill.But mark my words – he will knock the cover off the ball.Why?1. He is already delivering huge operational improvements at Berkshire.2. He understands capital allocation.3. Having met...

The Arabic Translation Gap

I am really alarmed by how few books are translated into Arabic. Between 1979 and 2019, only 13,418 books were translated into Arabic. That’s just 1 book per 26,979 native speakers, making Arabic the least-served major language for translated literature. For...

This is Why I Live in Europe

This is why I live in Europe. Check out this flashmob rendition of Ode to Joy – from Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. It has turned into a sort of European national anthem. The words are from the first two verses of Friedrich Schiller’s famous poem. Here is...

Big Think: What I learned over lunch with Warren Buffett

I did an interview with Lucy Handley of BigThink The act of self-reflection on one’s own, or in a group with the help of a significant other, is a more meaningful way to live one’s life. When you go into therapy, you’re going into a personal adventure, maybe the only...

Maria Callas

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Whitney Tilson for Mayor of New York City

New York is going to be electing an new mayor. And my friend Whitney Tilson is running. I may live in Switzerland but I am a New Yorker at heart. I’ve lived there longer than anywhere else. I met my wife Lory in NYC, and our 3 children were born there. So I care...

Book Review: The Netanyahus by Joshua Cohen

Joshua Cohen Might Have Been a Great Writer. I first encountered Joshua Cohen through his novel Book of Numbers (2015). The biblical references drew in me and I stayed for the excellent, dare I say, prophetic writing. I felt like I was reading a Jewish James Joyce....