JUNE 29 -- This morning the AIG shareholder meeting began and quickly ended. In a room filled with empty green chairs, Wall Street's least envied man, Ed Liddy, presided over a polite, subdued annual meeting of one of the financial world's most notorious disasters.

The meeting began with a courteous...

Friday Night, 5/1: Fly first class, enjoy the luxury of Travelodge

Warren Buffett is here. Warren Buffett is everywhere. He greets you on an airport billboard, stressing the importance of college education. There he is again, on the cover of every book in the bookstore window display. The hotel signs...