Buffett, Ackman Move In For The Kill

Like stealth tigers, billionaires Warren Buffett and Bill Ackman are moving in for the kill of the wounded bond-insurance business - but their ultimate meal could turn mean and messy.

Ackman, 41, has been stalking the bond-insurance companies for years with a strong hunch they'd become broke overnight and would earn him a windfall by betting on their demise.

Buffett, 77, who built a huge fortune on nuts-and-bolts insurance, has coveted the bond-insurance world's only treasure chest - its ultra-safe bets on municipal borrowing, since local governments almost never go bust.

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Other Buffett stories in the news today:

-- Jamie Johnson's new film "The One Percent" spotlights Buffett's relationship with his son's adopted daughter.

-- Warren's son Peter hopes to stage a musical in China.

Comments

[realitytrumpsbull]

First step in solving a problem is recognizing that there IS one, read what Dr. Paul has to say.

[realitytrumpsbull]

Warren Buffett's an american, right? Ok, well, the country's in a serious situation of fiscal duress, he should make out a Big Check to help cover things for the duration, and send it to Congress, NOT the IRS. There appears to be some sort of 'problem' in the ranks of the Revenue Service, there, and if he wants to make money and not be imperiled by government corruption, then he would be in a position to do something about it, and should act upon it. Same goes for The Donald. We don't have royalty in the United States, and those parties that, in the past, have essentially comported themselves AS royalty should seek to be pro-active. Talk to Congress. They re-present you. Profit vs. principle. Future of the nation at stake, etc.
Corruption is evident, you, sir, can act.

[xtown]

Huffpost headlines are often misleading.
The American economy is in a fragile position
and in need of considered and real forward
thinking. Not another troupe moving in for the
kill.

[larry278]

Is his Rupertship working on turning the NY POST into America's financial newspaper of record as he turns the WSJ into a general interest newspaper of record & drives the NYT out of business? The UK's FT's American edition has taken the WSJ's place as America's business newspaper of record in a de facto sense.
His Rupertship ought to consider if the NY POST or WSJ is to run the American version of his UK SUN's p 3 1st. Please use American based models regardless of which of your US, NY based papers runs the American version of the SUN's p 3, Mr Murdoch. We Americans have lost far too many jobs to off shore labor as it is to tolerate UK birds appearing in either paper's soft porn entry. Think about it carefully, Rupe, old bean. Thanks.

[mrcontinental]

Ackman may be out of his league messing with Buffett. The bond market took a beating during the Great Depression and caused it to be longer then expected so Buffett is trying to stabalize it so many won't lose all of their assets while he gobbles up the pieces and makes a tidy profit when things recover.

I'm pulling for Buffet. He's trying to protect the wealth of countless cities and citizens in this country while building a company that will explode in growth once the depression is over. A win-win. This could cement his legacy and do far more than giving billions to the Gates Foundation ever could.

[eahce]

buffet is only out to make a profit for himself and his shareholders. I am sure if this country falls into a dpression, he will profit from that too.

[realitytrumpsbull]

I think the entire 'bond' market needs to be looked at. Your word is your bond. Promises, promises. Isn't kind of the problem du jour
this whole mutual economic bondage thing?
Mortgage backed securities, student loan backed securities, it's INDENTURESHIP. As in, 'go blow it out your stock portfolio'. There's a problem in the world today, and it's name is 'high finance'. People with fat cash that know how to accumulate wealth, and push other people's buttons. Being the chief executive button-pusher is nothing to brag about, frankly, independence gets SQUASHED, mercilessly, perhaps even deliberately(?) by folks that are too addicted to 'the system'. Gotta leave a hole in the ol' matrix, there, for people to live their own lives. All the world's a stage,
and we are but the players, comma, this game's getting a little OLD. Kind of like some of the people like this old fart who made a career out of running the tables. I'm not seeing a moon base. And, where's my jet-pack, you @$@#@#$?
I sent in my box-tops, what the blanker-blanker?

[WIpatriot]

Queue: Jaws theme....