1. Interview with Kathleen Cole.
2. Ibid.
3. The author, too, has for some years sat in the managers’ section, although she is not a shareholder.
4. Tom Strobhar, “Report on B-H Shareholder Meeting,” Human Life International, May 2004; “Special Report, HLI Embarrasses Warren Buffett in Front of 14,000 Stockholders,” July 2004. Mr. Strobhar has a curious history. After serving as a leader in the boycott against Berkshire that resulted in canceling the shareholder-contributions program, he wrote an editorial in the Wall Street Journal, “Giving Until It Hurts” (August 1, 2003), criticizing the shareholder-contributions program for being a clandestine way of “paying” Buffett (notwithstanding that Berkshire made no corporate charitable contributions nor paid a dividend). Strobhar identified himself only as the president of an investment firm in Dayton, Ohio, omitting his role in the boycott and the fact that he was chairman of Life Decisions International. Strobhar went on in 2005 to found Citizen Action Now, an organization designed to fight “the homosexual agenda” and for “an America free from the manipulation of homosexual groups.” On the Web site of his investment firm, he borrows Buffett’s reputation by advertising himself (as of November 2007) as “trained in the tradition of Ben Graham, the ‘father of security analysis,’ whose students include Warren Buffet [sic], ‘the world’s greatest investor.’ … Like Graham and Buffett, Thomas Strobhar’s focus is on ‘value investing.’ ”
5. The Omaha Housing Authority bought the house for $89,900.
6. Interview with Susie Buffett Jr.
7. Ibid.
8. Ibid.
9. Ibid.
10. Howard Buffett Jr. (Howie B.), speaking at Susie’s funeral.
11. Interview with T. D. Kelsey.
12. Ibid.
13. Interviews with Al Oehrle, Barbara Oehrle.
14. Interview with T. D. Kelsey.
15. Interviews with Herbert Allen, Barbara Oehrle, T. D. Kelsey.
16. Interview with Susie Buffett Jr.
17. Interviews with Herbert Allen, T. D. Kelsey. According to the Oehrles, Herbert Allen, and Barry Diller, the rest of the guests remained in Cody for the weekend and turned the weekend, as best they could, into a sort of tribute to Susie.
18. Interview with Susie Buffett Jr.
19. Interview with Howie Buffett.
20. Interviews with T. D. Kelsey, Herbert Allen.
21. Interviews with Susie Buffett Jr., Peter Buffett.
22. Interviews with Susie Buffett Jr. and Peter Buffett, who both said they found it comforting to have their mother with them in the plane.
23. Interview with Howie Buffett.
24. Interview with Sharon Osberg.
25. Interview with Susie Buffett Jr.