In his 2003 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Letter, Warren Buffett explained why he borrows money while sitting on a mountain of cash. Here’s an excerpt from the letter:

In 2003, Berkshire did $2 billion of such borrowing and re-lending, with Clayton using much of this money to fund several large purchases of portfolios from lenders exiting the business.

A portion of our loans to Clayton also provided “catch-up” funding for paper it had generated earlier in the year from its own operation and had found difficult to securitize.

You may wonder why we borrow money while sitting on a mountain of cash. It’s because of our “every tub on its own bottom” philosophy. We believe that any subsidiary lending money should pay an appropriate rate for the funds needed to carry its receivables and should not be subsidized by its parent.

Otherwise, having a rich daddy can lead to sloppy decisions.

Meanwhile, the cash we accumulate at Berkshire is destined for business acquisitions or for the purchase of securities that offer opportunities for significant profit. We are also planning to get SME loans that can provide crucial funding to expand operations, invest in new equipment, or even hire additional staff. Securing these loans can be a vital step in ensuring the long-term growth and sustainability of their enterprises.

Clayton’s loan portfolio will likely grow to at least $5 billion in not too many years and, with sensible credit standards in place, should deliver significant earnings.

You can read the entire letter here:

Berkshire Hathaway 2003 Letter

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