Why Buffett Sold the Airlines

Adam Mead is a professional investor, CEO of Mead Capital Management, and author of the 850-page second edition of The Complete Financial History of Berkshire Hathaway — one of the most exhaustive chronicles of Warren Buffett’s conglomerate ever written.

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3:00 – Adam explains why a second edition was necessary: the pandemic, Apple’s rise to 50% of the portfolio, Allegheny and Pilot acquisitions, Japanese trading houses, losing Charlie Munger, and Buffett’s retirement

5:58 – Berkshire’s underlying philosophy hasn’t changed — it’s the world that changed; living through history feels more intense than researching it on the page

8:25 – Why Buffett sold the airlines: as largest shareholder, Berkshire could have blocked bailout funds, putting the airlines’ survival at risk

11:28 – New investment cases rhyme with the past; patient capital allocation works; $72B in share repurchases between 2020–2024 was the real “elephant”

15:22 – Japanese trading houses financed with 1% yen-denominated debt — currency-insulated and opening future partnership opportunities

17:56 – The new chapters are Buffett’s final years; succession to Greg Abel was methodical, not sudden; Greg made material improvements visible in the financials

22:01 – Global expansion under Greg Abel could be Berkshire’s next chapter, following Fairfax’s playbook

23:50 – Sum of the parts walkthrough: $373B cash (~$320B deployable), $234B equities (after Apple adjustment and deferred taxes), BNSF $80-90B, BHE ~$70B, MSR businesses ~$205B, insurance underwriting ~$42.5B, minus $22.5B holding company debt = just over $1 trillion intrinsic value

44:41 – S&P underperformance is more about the index going “nuts” than Berkshire missing something

48:47 – Cash buildup is confluence, not structural: Apple gains, expensive market, Berkshire shares at/above intrinsic value — like a water balloon filling up

56:41 – Berkshire’s edge: de-emphasize information, emphasize continual learning, patience, and underappreciated liability management

1:00:54 – AI won’t replace conviction; if it could be done by clicking a button, the advantage negates itself

1:10:15 – Conviction requires deep work; shallow roots won’t hold through volatility

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Blue Infinitas Capital, LLC is a registered investment adviser and the opinions expressed by the Firm’s employees and podcast guests on this show are their own and do not reflect the opinions of Blue Infinitas Capital, LLC. All statements and opinions expressed are based upon information considered reliable although it should not be relied upon as such. Any statements or opinions are subject to change without notice.

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