In his book – The Dhandho Investor, Mohnish Pabrai explains that Dhandho arbitrage spreads, though temporary, offer valuable investment opportunities. The key question is how long these spreads will last and how wide their moat is. Quoting Warren Buffett, Pabrai emphasizes the importance of determining a company’s competitive advantage and … Read More
Mohnish Pabrai: Having Laser Focus Increases Your Odds Of Success
During this lecture to the students at Peking University, Mohnish Pabrai shared an anecdote by Charlie Munger, which highlights the power of focusing on a narrow “circle of competence.” He references Johnny Arrillaga, a billionaire who invested exclusively in real estate within a one-mile radius of Stanford University. Arrillaga’s success … Read More
Mohnish Pabrai: The Most Potent Weapon In An Investor’s Arsenal
In his book – The Dhandho Investor, Mohnish Pabrai discusses the power of simplicity in investing, which focuses on businesses that are easy to understand with predictable cash flows. He highlights the importance of conservative assumptions and straightforward analysis, citing Papa Patel’s purchase of a motel as an example. Pabrai … Read More
Mohnish Pabrai: From $5,000 to $5 Million: A Simple Lesson for Exponential Financial Growth
During this session with YPO Delhi, Mohnish Pabrai explains the concept of compounding to his daughter during a late-night drive. He uses her summer internship savings of $5,000 as an example, explaining how investing it in an IRA with a 15% annual return could grow to $5 million by the … Read More
Mohnish Pabrai: Why Long-Only Portfolios Outperform Short Selling Strategies
In this article titled – Steer Clear of the Short Side, Mohnish Pabrai argues against short positions as a hedge, suggesting a long-only unleveraged portfolio as a better alternative. With over 100,000 publicly traded stocks, it’s possible to hedge against various macroeconomic factors without using derivatives. Pabrai highlights the risks … Read More
Mohnish Pabrai: Avoid Investment Pitfalls: Create An Aviation Safety Style Checklist
In this session with the CFA in the U.K, Mohnish Pabrai discusses the importance of learning from investment mistakes, both personal and those of renowned investors like Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger. He highlights the inevitability of errors in predicting the future and the value of studying past mistakes to … Read More
Mohnish Pabrai: Investing Success: The Case for Doing Nothing
In this article titled – Buffett Succeeds At Nothing, Mohnish Pabrai reflects on Blaise Pascal’s quote about misery stemming from an inability to sit quietly and applies it to portfolio managers. He discusses D. E. Shaw & Co., a firm that achieved spectacular risk-free returns through sophisticated bond arbitrage, allowing … Read More
Mohnish Pabrai: Wait Patiently For That Super-Fast Pitch Down The Center
In his book – The Dhandho Investor, Mohnish Pabrai discusses why Ben Graham’s emphasis on a margin of safety is vital, aiming to minimize risk while maximizing returns, a strategy epitomized by Warren Buffett’s success. Assets usually trade at or above intrinsic value, but during extreme distress, like 9/11 or … Read More
Mohnish Pabrai: The Benefits Of Being A Focused, Solo Investor
In his book – The Dhandho Investor, Mohnish Pabrai explains why a critical law of investing, as demonstrated by Warren Buffett, is the importance of a small team size, ideally just one person. This approach allows for decisive and bold investments, exemplified by Buffett’s decision to invest 40 percent of … Read More
Mohnish Pabrai: Invest In Businesses With The Most ‘Hair’ On Them
In his book – The Dhandho Investor, Mohnish Pabrai explains why value investing involves investing in businesses negatively perceived by the market, and these businesses often yield the most significant returns. Fama and French’s research shows that from 1963 to 1990, stocks with the lowest price/book ratios outperformed those with … Read More
Mohnish Pabrai: Why Debt-Free Companies Are the Best Investment Choice
During this presentation at The University of Nebraska, Mohnish Pabrai discusses his investment philosophy, emphasizing the importance of staying within one’s circle of competence. He mentions past investments in Maotai, Alibaba, and Tencent, noting their mixed results. Pabrai advocates for businesses that operate with zero debt, citing Berkshire Hathaway as … Read More
Mohnish Pabrai: How To Capitalize on Fear and Greed in the Stock Market
In his book – The Dhandho Investor, Mohnish Pabrai explains how fear and greed are fundamental to human behavior and significantly influence stock market pricing. Extreme fear can cause irrational actions, likened to a panic in a crowded theater where everyone rushes for the exits, leading to a market crash. … Read More
Mohnish Pabrai: Mastering the Odds for Outsized Returns
In his book – The Dhando Investor, Mohnish Pabrai advocates investing like playing blackjack – bet heavily when the odds are overwhelmingly in your favor. His “Dhandho” approach involves finding a temporarily distressed but good business with a durable moat, within your circle of competence. Determine its intrinsic value 2-3 years … Read More
Mohnish Pabrai: Warren Buffett’s 4% Hit Rate
During this interview with My First Million, Mohnish Pabrai discusses Warren Buffett’s investment strategy and performance, particularly highlighting a key point from Buffett’s 2023 letter to shareholders. Buffett noted that over his 58-year tenure at Berkshire Hathaway, only 12 investment decisions significantly impacted the company’s success. Despite making hundreds of … Read More
Mohnish Pabrai: The #1 Trait That Makes a Great Investor
In this interview with My First Million, Mohnish Pabrai emphasizes that patience is the key trait for successful investing. He illustrates this by referencing a Seinfeld episode where Elaine’s boyfriend is content staring at the seat back in front of him during a flight, leading to their breakup. Pabrai suggests … Read More
Mohnish Pabrai: Why Successful Investing Feels Like Watching Paint Dry
During this interview with The Investor’s Podcast, Mohnish Pabrai discusses the importance of maintaining a spreadsheet to track the intrinsic value of his investments. He emphasizes that while market values fluctuate, understanding the true value of a business is crucial, especially during volatile times like the financial crisis. Pabrai highlights … Read More
Mohnish Pabrai: A Tale of Missed Chances in Investing
During his recent interview with The Investor’s Podcast, Mohnish Pabrai discusses his passion for bridge and shares a story about an investor who shorted Berkshire Hathaway, missing out on significant gains. The investor later regretted not investing in high-yield U.S. treasuries in the early ’80s. Pabrai reflects on missed opportunities … Read More
Mohnish Pabrai: Warren Buffett’s Insight: Judging People in 5 Minutes
In this presentation with students at the JNV Kottayam, Mohnish Pabrai shares Warren Buffett’s insights on how he judges people. Despite perception, Buffett doesn’t quickly assess if someone is good or bad. He explained that in a party with 100 guests, he can only identify about eight individuals in five … Read More
Mohnish Pabrai: Why “Master Cloners” Have An Edge In The Investment World
In this interview with YPO’s Mosaic Chapter, Mohnish Pabrai discusses the concept of cloning good ideas in business and investing. He learned early on about the power of copying successful strategies. He came across a book by Tom Peters who argued that humans are bad at copying successful ideas. In … Read More
Mohnish Pabrai: There’s Always A Bear Market Somewhere
In this presentation at Columbia Business School, Mohnish Pabrai explains how historical crashes can create long periods of low stock prices, discouraging investors. However, these periods can also be the best times to invest for long-term gains. He believes there are always opportunities somewhere in the world, even if the … Read More