Articles
Random Thoughts on the Russian War in Ukraine (Hint: It’s Not Going Well for Russia)
The following is a loose collection of random thoughts and observations on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Rather than a coherent article, I offer some insights that have emerged as the war has dragged on.
IMA is not for everyone. I’m fine with that!
How great alignment with clients creates the perfect recipe for long-term compounding. (And I get to drive my kids to school.)
A Value Investor’s Analysis of Student Loan Forgiveness
Individual impact aside, Biden’s student loan forgiveness will also affect the US currency and economy. Here’s how we see it as value investors.
Why we bought more Uber shares as the stock fell
Despite being a very controversial choice, we believe Uber stock is still a great investment and have bought more on its way down. Here’s why.
Why Value Investing Requires Thoughtful Arrogance
You need arrogance as a value investor, but it can also be your downfall. So how do you master the psychological side of value investing?
The trip to Europe that wasn’t about Europe
As I am looking back at this trip, it was really not about Europe, the lakes, the ice cream that we had every evening, or the museums. The best experiences were the conversations we shared while we strolled the streets or had over dinner.
How Stoicism Can Help You Have Soul in the Game
In my interview with “What is Stoicism”, I discuss how stoicism can help us improve our personal and professional lives.
Charter Communications (CHTR) Stock: Heads we win, tails we don’t lose
Charter Communications (CHTR) is a significantly undervalued stock today. But are competition, 5G, and satellite internet significant threats to its business? How does its management compare to AT&T and Verizon? Read our analysis below.
Inspiring Stories & Hard-Won Life Lessons: Introducing My New Book
My newest book, Soul in the Game, is now live and available for purchase. It has nothing to do with investing, but has everything to do with something far more important: living a meaningful life.
Putin: The Mask is Off. Europe is Next.
When Putin started the war, he tried to shift the blame to NATO, calling it the instigator. He argued that Russia had no choice but to defensively launch the war to prevent NATO from surrounding Russia from all sides. A few days ago, Putin finally lifted his veil of pretense: this is a war of conquest.
ARKK Stocks Sunk
The better ARK performed, the more money flowed into its main ETF, ARKK. It used this money to buy more sci-fi ARKK stocks, pushing up the prices of its holdings. This created a vicious cycle that has now reversed.
Sitting on the Tarmac in The Land of Stoicism
I recently took Jonah and Hannah to NYC for a long weekend. Jonah was leaving for Israel that Sunday and Hannah and I decided to join him for the weekend to inhale the art and culture that New York has to offer. However, this trip to NYC started with me practicing a bit of Stoicism.
Why Is Inflation So High Right Now? 6 Reasons + What Happens Next
The war in Ukraine will likely pour more gasoline on the already raging inflationary fire, threatening to send the global economy into stagflation. Stagflation is a slowdown of economic activity caused by inflation.
A Value Investor Gathering in Omaha
I am hosting an intimate gathering for friends, readers, and fellow value investors from 8–10:30 AM on Friday, April 29, 2022, at Lula B’s in Omaha. Stop by and enjoy some delicious breakfast. If you show up early enough, you might even get a free signed copy of my new book, Soul in the Game: The Art of a Meaningful Life.
Turning a PBS Interviewer into Interviewee
I was interviewed on PBS Newshour about the insanity that is happening in the NFT market. I can sum up my thoughts in one sentence: NFTs, just like cryptocurrencies, are not just a technology of the future, but a speculative bubble induced by excess global liquidity in the present.
Mental Models for Investing – an Interview with The Value Perspective
I sat down with the Value Perspective podcast to discuss my value investing approach. Much of the conversation ended up focusing on mental models and frameworks that I’ve found useful in analyzing businesses - and the market as a whole - as a value investor. You can read the transcript or listen to the original podcast interview below.
Soul in the Game – The Art of a Meaningful Life
This is my newest book. It has nothing to do with investing. In fact, it is a deeply personal collection of inspiring stories and hard-won lessons that weave together insights from classical composers, ancient Stoics, and contemporary thinkers. It's a tapestry of practical wisdom that has helped me overcome some of my greatest challenges - in work, family, identity, and health.
War in Ukraine: Part 4 – Are There Neo-Nazis in Ukraine?
In his speech declaring war on Ukraine, the dictator of Russia, Vladimir Putin, said the goal of his “special operation” was the de-Nazification of Ukraine and ridding it of drug addicts. He’d remove the democratically elected government and install a Russia-friendly puppet government instead, thus expanding the power and influence of the Russian empire. But are there neo-Nazis in Ukraine?
War in Ukraine: Part 3 – The Future of Russia
Sanctions have a checkered history. They didn’t get rid of Castro in Cuba or the Kims in North Korea. It took more than a decade for sanctions against South Africa in the 1980s to bear fruit. But the world has never seen sanctions like this. Ironically, these sanctions may give Putin even more power.
War in Ukraine: Part 2 – The New World
Just as 9/11 dramatically changed the flow of history, resulting in two wars and hundreds of thousands of deaths and millions of lives ruined, so too will Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Right now, we are seeing only the first effects and getting glimpses of second-order effects. The broad third-order effects will not be visible for a long time, though they’ll be obvious in hindsight.
War in Ukraine: Why I Was Blindsided, Part 1
Eight days before Russia invaded Ukraine, I wrote an article saying there would be no war. I was certain of it. I was wrong. Why I was blindsided? The more you knew about the situation, the more likely you were to get it wrong.
