An Unhealthy Obsession With Money
An Unhealthy Obsession With Money
Posted October 6, 2021 by Ben Carlson
One hundred dollars invested in Berkshire Hathaway in 1965 would have grown to more than $2.8 million by the end of 2020. Warren Buffett’s holding company is the most impressive long-term compounding machine in history, increasing in market value at 20% per year for nearly 6 decades. Compounding is a wonderful thing but it can also become an unhealthy obsession if you view every financial decision through that lens.
In Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist, Roger Lowenstein tells a story from Buffett’s friend and former business partner Katherine Graham when she was publisher of the Washington Post.
Graham was in the airport with Buffett and needed to make a phone call from a payphone (remember those?). She asked Buffett for a dime (which was the going rate for a call at the time). Buffett grabbed a quarter from his pocket and walked off to get change from a cashier. Graham snapped at him, “Warren, give me the quarter!” Buffett was so stingy he wanted to give her exact change for the call and not a penny more.
There was another story from the book where Buffett complained to a friend about his wife purchasing $15k of new furniture for their home. He told the friend, “Do you know how much that is if you compound it over 20 years?”
I’m not going to defend extravagant furniture purchases but that’s not really the point. If you’re always worried about the future value of your money, it becomes much harder to enjoy the present value of your time.
Shelby Davis isn’t a household name like Buffett but his investing track record is almost as impressive.
Davis quit his job at age 38 in the late-1940s to become a full-time investor. His timing was impeccable as the stock market was about to enter one of the great bull markets of all-time. His timing was fortuitous but Davis was also a fantastic stock picker. Sticking mainly to insurance stocks, Davis managed to turn $50,000 in 1947 into $900 million by the time he passed away in 1994.1
Like Buffett, Davis was a compounding machine. Like Buffett, Davis came from the value investing school of Ben Graham. And like Buffett, Davis was noticeable cheap for being so rich.
Buffett scoffed at buying expensive furniture for his wife as he did the math in his head about lost future gains from compounding while Davis gave the exact same speech to his grandson…about a $1 hot dog. He refused to buy it for the boy. He also told his children they could only have a swimming pool if they dug the hole themselves.2 Those are relatively small things though. Once the sums became large enough, the money created a rift in the family.
In his book The Davis Dynasty, John Rothchild recounts a fight between Davis and his daughter that made it into the pages of the New York Daily News in the early-1960s:
In the early 1940s, he funded each account with $4,000-surely not a sum that would sap anybody’s future self-reliance. By 1961, as the New York Daily News reported, each “$4,000 acorn had grown into a $3.8 million oak.”
To continue reading, please go to the original article here:
https://awealthofcommonsense.com/2021/10/an-unhealthy-obsession-with-money/
Coffee with MarkZ, Tuesday 09/08/2026
MarkZ Disclaimer: Please consider everything on this call as my opinion. Be sure to consult a professional for any financial decisions
MZ: Denominations smaller than 250, CBI buys more gold, elections around the world, conflict and the fallout. Joined by Lewis Herms.
THE CONTENT IN THIS PODCAST IS FOR GENERAL & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY&NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE ANY PROFESSIONAL, FINANCIAL OR LEGAL ADVICE. PLEASE CONSIDER EVERYTHING DISCUSSED IN MARKZ’S OPINION ONLY
Note: All intel should be considered as "Rumors" until we receive official announcements ...and “Rates and Dates” could change anytime until we get to the banks/redemption centers.
RV Excerpts from the Restored Republic via a GCR Update as of Tues. 8 Sept. 2026
Compiled Tues. 8 Sept. 2026 12:01 am EST by Judy Byington
The Global Financial Transition:
The Quantum Financial System (QFS) operates independently of the current centralized banking model, putting an end to the global perpetuation of “Debt Slavery” by dismantling the existing Central Banking System. …Quantum Financial System Intel on Telegram Mon. 7 Sept. 2026
YEN SURGE SHAKES THE $2.35 TRILLION CARRY TRADE: JAPAN’S CURRENCY REVERSAL COULD REPRICE GLOBAL CAPITAL FLOWS
Japan’s rapidly strengthening yen is forcing investors to reconsider one of the world’s largest funding trades, raising the possibility of broader shifts in global liquidity, asset prices and capital flows.
OVERVIEW
The yen has surged nearly 4% in about a week, reaching a seven-month high as markets increasingly expect the Bank of Japan to raise interest rates.
Cross-border yen borrowing — a proxy for the carry trade — reached a record 360 trillion yen, or approximately $2.35 trillion, in March, according to Jefferies analysis of Bank for International Settlements data.
A sustained yen rally could force investors to unwind leveraged positions and repatriate capital, potentially affecting currencies, bonds and other global assets.
Marc Faber: Imminent Financial Collapse, Money Printing & Gold
Palisades Gold Radio: 9-8-2026
Stijn Schmitz welcomes back Contrarian Investor and Publisher of the Gloom, Boom, & Doom Report Marc Faber to the show.
Faber opened the discussion by emphasizing the unprecedented complexity facing economists and investors today, driven by a confluence of dismal fiscal situations in Western democracies, geopolitical tensions, and the central role of central banks in financing massive deficits.
TNT:
Tishwash: After September 30th, a new security agreement will keep Marines protecting the US Embassy in Baghdad.
On Monday, Hoshyar Zebari, a leader in the Kurdistan Democratic Party, revealed new details regarding the American withdrawal from Iraq, pointing to bilateral security arrangements between Baghdad and Washington, which include the continued presence of US Marines to protect the embassy .
Zebari said in a televised interview followed by Al-Sa’a Network that “this operation will end on September 30,” explaining that “the Iraqi government agreed with the American side two years ago that in 2026 there will be no need for Operation Inherent Resolve .”
KTFA
Monday Night Video
FRANK26…9-7-26…..CURRENCY DEALERS TALK
This video is in Frank’s and his team’s opinion only
Frank’s team is Walkingstick, Eddie and Omar in Iraq and guests
Playback Number: 605-313-5163 PIN: 156996#
Rob Cunningham: Mission Abundance
9-7-2026
MISSION ABUNDANCE
Let’s play a game, shall we?
Let’s consider and then process a hypothetical 8 year scenario.
TNT:
Tishwash: An economist predicts the return of the 50 and 100 dinar denominations with the currency change.
Economic expert Mustafa Hantoush suggested on Sunday that the 50 and 100 dinar denominations would return to circulation if the currency change were to proceed, noting the possibility of issuing new currency denominations with stronger security features .
Hantoush said in a televised interview followed by Al-Sa’a Network that “the Central Bank may issue a new currency with advanced security features, with the possibility of introducing currency denominations less than 250 dinars, such as 100 fils .”
CLARITY ACT HITS A CRITICAL WALL: U.S. DIGITAL-FINANCE LEADERSHIP NOW FACES A REGULATORY GAP
Congressional deadlock is putting the future of comprehensive U.S. crypto market-structure legislation in doubt just as federal regulators and other financial centers move ahead with their own digital-asset frameworks.
OVERVIEW
The CLARITY Act remains stalled in the Senate, with a September 15 cloture vote now representing the next major test of whether the legislation can advance.
The delay is being driven by unresolved disagreements over ethics provisions, anti-money-laundering safeguards, stablecoin rewards, community-bank deposits, law-enforcement authority and SEC-CFTC jurisdiction.
Labor Day Coffee with MarkZ. 09/07/2026
Some highlights by PDK-Not verbatim
MarkZ Disclaimer: Please consider everything on this call as my opinion. People who take notes do not catch everything and its best to watch the video so that you get everything in context. Be sure to consult a professional for any financial decisions
MZ: CBI on Currency changes, Erbil/Baghdad, Gold, a bold claim in Venezuela, the fog of war, and Plenty of bond rumors to start the week.
MZ: For a Monday on a holiday weekend I think we have pretty good news and rumors.
Sunday Dinar Update: Things Are Moving FAST!
The Dinar Den: 9-6-2026
Iraq’s financial landscape is undergoing a pivotal transition as state institutions work toward comprehensive economic modernization. Market analysts, economists, and international observers have increasingly turned their focus to the Iraqi dinar (IQD) and the broader policy adjustments managed by the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI).
Understanding these developments requires evaluating a combination of legal frameworks, currency circulation metrics, banking sector overhauls, and significant political milestones.
TNT:
Tishwash: Parliamentary Finance Committee: There is an intention to issue banknotes in denominations smaller than 250 dinars.
About the news
The parliamentary finance committee revealed that there is an intention to issue smaller denominations of currency than the 250 dinar note.
This measure comes as a result of what has been described as the currency not having changed for a long time and the occurrence of counterfeiting.
Removing Zeros From The Dinar: Parliamentary Finance Committee Sets Conditions For Proceeding With This Matter.
Today 12:19 The Information/Baghdad... Member of the Parliamentary Finance Committee, Amer Rahim, confirmed on Saturday that voting on a bill to remove zeros from the local currency requires extensive discussions and the enforcement of a package of laws within the Parliament. He indicated that raising this issue at the present time is premature.
Good Morning Dinar Recaps,
CHINA'S $3.44 TRILLION RESERVE WALL RISES: YUAN STRENGTH SIGNALS A SHIFT IN GLOBAL CURRENCY BALANCES
China's enormous foreign-exchange reserve position is rising as the yuan strengthens and the dollar weakens, highlighting how exchange rates, reserve management and competing currencies are reshaping the global financial landscape.
China Just Triggered the Biggest Gold and Silver Rally in 50 Years: Luke Groman
Slick Finance: 9-5-2026
The global financial landscape is experiencing a profound transformation, characterized by a steady shift away from traditional dollar-centric foreign exchange reserves.
As nations reevaluate their monetary strategies in an increasingly interconnected yet fractured world, a new global monetary dynamic is taking shape. At the center of this evolution is the enduring appeal of gold, which is rapidly emerging as the preferred neutral reserve asset for sovereign entities seeking stability, security, and independence from legacy financial systems.
KTFA
Sunday Video
FRANK26…9-6-26….CBI OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
This video is in Frank’s and his team’s opinion only
Frank’s team is Walkingstick, Eddie and Omar in Iraq and guests
Playback Number: 605-313-5163 PIN: 156996#
2,500 Years of Monetary History Reveal the Same Pattern. Is It Happening Again? | Bob Klein
Miles Franklin Media: 9-6-2026
Michelle Makori, President & Editor-in-Chief of Miles Franklin Media, interviews Bob Klein, Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Medici Capital.
Klein, who identified the dot-com and housing bubbles before they burst, explains why the U.S. stock market is once again in bubble territory and what could ultimately bring the boom to an end.
Al-Taif Bank Pledges To Return Depositors’ Funds
2026-09-06 Shafaq News- Baghdad Al-Taif Islamic Bank said it would soon return depositors’ funds after a committee appointed by the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) formally took control of the bank’s management.
The bank said on Sunday the committee began its work and is preparing a plan to set procedures for customers and settle their financial claims.
Good Afternoon Dinar Recaps,
U.S. STRIKES THREE IRANIAN OIL TANKERS: WAR MOVES DEEPER INTO THE GLOBAL ENERGY-SUPPLY SYSTEM
The conflict is no longer only threatening oil supplies — military action is now directly targeting vessels carrying Iranian crude, raising the financial stakes for energy markets, shipping, currencies and global trade.
Ariel: The Current Operational Assessment for Iraq
9-8-2026
Iraq: The Current Operational Assessment (And Other News)
The Sequence Problem, the September Squeeze, and Why the Clarity Act Is the Real Timer
Let me tell you what nobody’s connecting, because everyone’s staring at the budget like it’s the fuse when it’s actually the firecracker that gets thrown ‘after’ the match is lit.