Categories: OLD Media Moves

Marketwatch columnist takes a shot at Buffett's media relationships

Marketwatch columnist David Weidner takes a few shots at billionaire Warren Buffett, including how he plays the business media to his advantage, in his latest column.

Weidner writes, “Brilliant, Buffett has been deified by a media longing for color in the drab world of executive privilege and power. That he lives in the stucco house he bought more than 40 years ago for $31,500 in Omaha, Neb.; has modest Midwestern tastes for food and luxuries; drives his own American-made sedan; and plays cards with Bill Gates — aw, shucks, he might just be America’s grandpa, except for the fact he is not like you or me at all. He is the world’s second-richest man.

“You might have a weakness for chocolate. Warren, who controls See’s Candies, likes private jets.

“That the myth of Buffett is so pervasive is no accident. The ‘Oracle of Omaha’ actually gives few interviews outside of his famous annual meeting in Nebraska each year. Those whom he does talk to, such as Fortune’s Carol Loomis, are either on his payroll or don’t dare criticize St. Warren lest they lose access.”