When Stewart Horejsi first bought shares of Warren Buffett’s company, Berkshire Hathaway, he had no idea he was setting himself up for a lifetime of wealth. Back in 1980, he was just an ordinary businessman from Kansas, running his family’s welding-supply company. He wasn’t a Wall Street trader or a millionaire investor. But one simple decision changed everything.
A small bet that grew huge
The story goes that Horejsi bought his first Berkshire Hathaway shares for about $265 each. He invested roughly $10,000 — a big risk for him at the time. He had read about Warren Buffett’s investing style: buy great businesses, hold them for the long term, and let the profits compound. Horejsi liked that idea.
So, he bought a few shares, then a few more. He didn’t sell when the market fell or when others told him to take profits. He simply held on — year after year.
That patience paid off. Those same Berkshire Hathaway shares, once worth only a few hundred dollars each, are now worth millions. Horejsi’s early investment, which could have bought him a small car in 1980, eventually made him a billionaire.
Letting buffett do the hard work
Horejsi often said his wealth grew because he let Buffett do the compounding for him. In other words, Buffett was the one finding and buying strong businesses — Coca-Cola, American Express, Geico, Apple — and Horejsi just stayed invested.
Instead of trying to beat the market himself, Horejsi put his money behind someone he trusted. He believed Buffett’s simple idea: if you own part of a great business and hold it long enough, the value will take care of itself.
Building on the success
After seeing his fortune grow, Horejsi went a step further. He started a few investment funds that also held Berkshire shares. Through these funds, he helped others invest and built his own wealth further.
These funds became heavily invested in Berkshire Hathaway — sometimes holding more than half their money in Buffett’s company. That concentration was risky, but for Horejsi, it worked brilliantly. He earned management fees while his holdings kept rising in value.
By the 2000s, Horejsi had become known as the man who got rich by believing in Buffett. Financial magazines reported his story, showing how an ordinary businessman became a billionaire not by chasing trends, but by being patient and consistent.
Power of patience
Horejsi’s story holds a simple lesson: you don’t need to be a genius to get rich — you just need discipline and time.
Most people try to jump in and out of the stock market, hoping to buy low and sell high. Horejsi did the opposite. He bought a few shares of a company he believed in and stayed put for decades. He didn’t panic when markets crashed. He didn’t sell when everyone else was scared.
That calm approach — often called buy and hold — allowed his money to grow naturally through the power of compounding.
What others can learn
Not everyone can invest in a company like Berkshire Hathaway today, but the principle remains the same:
- Pick something solid you understand.
- Stay invested for the long term.
- Don’t get distracted by short-term noise.
It’s not flashy, but it works — as Horejsi’s life shows.
Not flashy
Despite his billions, Stewart Horejsi isn’t as famous as Warren Buffett. He has quietly donated millions to the University of Kansas, his alma mater, and supported many charitable causes.
He rarely gives interviews, but his actions speak loudly. From a modest start in a small Midwestern town, he became one of Buffett’s earliest and most loyal followers — and one of the wealthiest because of it.
In the end, Horejsi’s story isn’t about luck or timing. It’s about trust, patience, and belief in a long-term vision. In a world obsessed with quick profits, he proved that sometimes the smartest move is simply to buy — and wait.
(The writer has a keen interest in business and the dynamics of stock markets)
