The questions on the estate of investor features remain whole

At a minimum, Goldman Sachs can boast of having an ally of weight. Taking advantage of its annual track - of its investment fund, Berkshire Hathaway - Billionaire Warren Buffett has a General Assembly once again vigorously defended Saturday the Bank, now threatened by a criminal investigation. A real vote of confidence of the "sage of Omaha" for Lloyd Blankfein, which he welcomed the balance sheet at the head of Goldman Sachs.

Before 40,000 shareholders and investors hanged in his lips, Warren Buffett is is said satisfied that Goldman Sachs - which it has invested 5 billion in preference shares to the height of the financial crisis and he withdraws 500 million dollars in interest each year - was not committed in any illegal activity and that it did not have to pay for the losses of its customers. Customers who, according to him, were in all the "sophisticated investor", in the image of the Dutch bank ABN AMRO, one of the most affected by losses on the Abacus CDO complained. Warren Buffett assured, as an argument, he himself performed "extremely satisfactory transactions with Goldman Sachs" in the course of the past forty years and insisted on the fact that he was not "so obvious" in 2007, when the famous CDOS were sold, that the US housing market crumble. In short, when asked if he could choose Lloyd Blankfein as successor, he simply replied: "If Lloyd had a twin brother, I'll pick it up. Not sure that the Assembly was totally satisfied: If the majority of the comments made by Warren Buffett gives traditionally held to much applause, the investors in this chapter, remained silent.

Asked about the impact for Berkshire in the reform of the financial regulation by Barack Obama, Warren Buffett is shown confidence, ensuring that its funds would likely not to stop large amounts ("collateral") from its existing products (a portfolio of 63 billion dollars, according to Barclays Capital). Unless a change requiring all companies to cover their stock of old contracts. The future will tell if the lobbying of the billionaire, supported by Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson has been effective.

This does not Warren Buffett, who signed last year a record transaction with the resumption of the operator of railway Burlington Northern Santa Fe for $ 26.6 billion, to remain on tenterhooks. "We are ready to act", he assured Saturday, expressing willingness to toper immediately if he presented a transaction likely to please him $ 10 billion. At December 31, Berkshire had more than 30 billion dollars of cash.

The question of his succession

In this regard, the billionaire Saturday opened the door to something resembling a dividend payment, without to explicitly decide the name. Berkshire Hathaway was never paid and Warren Buffett is known for his dislike on the subject. Nevertheless, given the size of its society and its ability to identify the cash, he acknowledged that it it would be may be complicated in the future to find investments that will provide enough high yields. "I think we can go further than what I had imagined 30 years ago." But there is a limit. Will come a day where we can more intelligently use 100 of the capital developed in-house. "This day, we will do what is in the best interest of the shareholders", said the billionaire. Comments a little more explicit than usual, but which refer mainly to "the after-Buffett."

The questions on the estate of investor features remain whole. If announcement effect, Warren Buffett, seventy-nine years, ensures that his succession plan is ready. His position will be split - a CEO and three or four investment managers. The names of three potential patterns, they are in an envelope. "If I die tonight, there will be new CEO within 24 hours", he tells.