Gillette Company

Buffett recalls his early days as an investor | February 26, 2018

“directors' meetings at Coca-Cola in Atlanta or Gillette in Boston, I would schedule a talk.”

Afternoon Session - 2005 Meeting

“Gillette bought 20-some businesses. I remember back in the 60s, Coke bought all kinds of businesses”

2004 Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter

“96,000,000 The Gillette Company ............................. 9.7 600 4,299”

Morning Session - 2000 Meeting

“Gillette had bad years last year. They'll have good years over time... Gillette's position in the razor and blade business, I would characterize them as inevitable, that they will gain share over time”

Afternoon Session - 2000 Meeting

“It's not a Coca-Cola-type business or a Gillette-type business or even an American Express business”

Morning Session - 2000 Meeting

“Washington Post or Coca-Cola or Gillette. It's a factor we ignore. We do look at what”

Afternoon Session - 1998 Meeting

“I invested in those three companies, Coca-Cola, Gillette, and Disney”

Morning Session - 1998 Meeting

“I wish we owned all of Disney or Coca-Cola or Gillette, but we aren't going to.”

Afternoon Session - 1997 Meeting

“That's true for Gillette and Disney and the companies of that sort that have got these terrific opportunities to use capital”

1996 Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter

“48,000,000 The Gillette Company............... 600.0 3,732.0”

1996 Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter

“Companies such as Coca-Cola and Gillette might well be labeled "The Inevitables."... Coke and Gillette will dominate their fields worldwide for an investment lifetime”

1996 Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter

“Unfortunately, that is precisely what transpired years ago at both Coke and Gillette. (Would you believe that a few decades back they were growing shrimp at Coke and exploring for oil at Gillette?)”

1996 Annual Meeting Highlight Reel

“are the people going to stop using Gillette razor blades?”

1995 Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter

“our preferreds have performed well, but that is true only because of one huge winner, Gillette.”

Afternoon Session - 1995 Meeting

“could it also be a beneficial policy if Coca-Cola and Gillette stop paying dividends and utilized the cash in other ways?”

1994 Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter

“by way of its Gillette stock, Berkshire has a 7% share of the world's razor and blade market (measured by revenues, not by units), a proportion according us about $250 million of sales in 1994.”

1994 Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter

“The Gillette Company .......... 10.8% 10.9% 51 44”

Afternoon Session - 1994 Meeting

“whether it's Coke or Gillette or anything, we made decisions at a given time at a given price”

Afternoon Session - 1994 Meeting

“whether it's from Guinness, whether it's from Coke, whether it's from Gillette, are denominated in some mixture of marks and pounds and yen”

Morning Session - 1994 Meeting

“we don't pay any attention to what people say about Coca-Cola stock or Gillette stock or, any of those things”

Morning Session - 1994 Meeting

“whether it's Coca-Cola or Gillette or Wells Fargo, is in its intrinsic valuation, is 100% sensitive to interest rates”

1993 Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter

“Two years ago, Coca-Cola and Gillette, both large holdings of ours, enjoyed market price increases that dramatically outpaced their earnings gains.”

1993 Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter

“From 1991 to 1993, Coke and Gillette increased their annual operating earnings per share by 38% and 37% respectively, but their market prices moved up only 11% and 6%.”

1993 Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter

“The Gillette Company ......... 10.9% 10.9% 44 38”

1993 Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter

“The Gillette Company ................. 600,000 1,431,000”

1993 Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter

“Coca-Cola and Gillette possess far less business risk over the long term than, say, any computer company or retailer? Gillette has more than a 60% share (in value) of the blade market.”

1992 Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter

“The Gillette Company .......... 10.9% 11.0% 38 23(2)”

1991 Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter

“large, but not controlling, blocks of stock comparable to those we hold in Capital Cities, Salomon, Gillette, USAir, Champion, and American Express”

1991 Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter

“24,000,000 The Gillette Company ................ 600,000 1,347,000”

1991 Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter

“our Gillette preferred was called for redemption, which forced us to convert to common stock”

1989 Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letter

“we purchased $600 million of The Gillette Co. preferred with an 8 3/4% dividend, a mandatory redemption in ten years”