Latest news with #60Yearsof
The Citizen
10-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Six decades of Porsche at Kyalami celebrated with new book
Latest collector's item piece South Africa Motorsport Memories covers Porsche's racing legacy at Kyalami, from its debut to the present day. 60 Years of Porsche Racing at Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit is the latest publication by South Africa Motorsport Memories. Picture: Supplied Last year, the South Africa Motorsport Memories publishing company offered adrenaline game enthusiasts a book on the 60 years of the Kyalami Grand Prix circuit's history. The massive tome became an immediate collector's item, with the most complete and intricate review ever about Kyalami and, in many ways, about South African circuit racing over the last six decades. Now, author Denis Klopper and editor Roger Houghton have launched an equally enticing offering – 60 Years of Porsche Racing at Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit. Paying tribute As the title spells out, the publication covers the history of Porsche racing at the Midrand circuit from 1961 to the present day. The 378-page large-format book follows the same recipe that made its predecessor such a hit. ALSO READ: Sixty years of Kyalami celebrated in new collector's book It is impeccably researched and well-written, while statistics of all the races cover the car types, drivers, chassis numbers and results. Its biggest selling point, though, must be the more than 550 photographs, donated by South Africa's top motorsport lensmen over the years. Old people, like this writer, love to see brilliant pictures of cars that we actually witnessed live at Kyalami. Porsche's icons Likewise, the current generation of enthusiasts can only wonder at the sheer beauty and majestic presence of cars like the Porsche 917, 956 and 962, portrayed large and in full colour. The history of Porsche's success at the circuit dates back to the circuit's opening 9-Hour race in 1961, continuing through to the race-winning return of the 9-Hour race in 2019, and including the brand's last appearance to date at an international race held at Kyalami in early 2023. The 1962 Kyalami 9-Hour saw Porsche take back-to-back victories. Picture: Supplied It started in 1961, with a 550 Spyder driven to the first 9-Hour victory by Dawie Gouws and John Love. That was followed over the years by the 904 GTS, Spyder RS62, 906 Carrera, 718 RS6, 908, 910, the legendary 917, 935, the 936C, the 956 and the 962. Sarel van der Merwe campaigning the 944 Turbo in the first year of the Porsche 944 Turbo Cup. Picture: Supplied In 2019, Porsche bought the Kyalami circuit and owns it to this day. All of which is portrayed in the book, up to the 2023 9-Hour race, won by a 911 GTR. The works Rothmans Porsche made its first appearance with the iconic 956 at the 1982 9-Hour. Picture: Supplied It also covers the 944 Turbo Cup Series, which ran in South Africa from late 1987 until the end of the 1989 season, plus the brand's brief and successful return as an engine supplier to the McLaren Formula 1 team. Niki Lauda won the 1984 South African Grand Prix in a TAG Porsche V6-powered McLaren and went on to clinch that season's world title. Porsche returned to action at the modern 9-Hour after the global pandemic. Picture: Supplied Other Porsche cars and drivers that competed in local series feature in separate chapters. They include Toby Venter in his 911 GT2 R, Gary Dunkerley in his Sabat 911, plus the locally built Bailey Cars 917 replicas that still race in local Historic Car events. The legends who witnessed greatness Motoring scribes Roger McCleery, Stuart Johnston, yours truly and Hendrik Verwoerd each pen a story of their unique Porsche Kyalami memories, while renowned Porsche historian, Wernher Hartzenberg, makes a fascinating contribution covering the early years. Forewords were contributed by Toby Venter, Derek Bell, David Piper and Sarel van der Merwe. How much? The book is available in two editions: A Standard Edition, limited to 500 Copies, comes as a hard cover large format publication, signed by the author. Its price of R 2 195 includes courier delivery within South Africa. A Collector's Edition, limited to 100 numbered copies, comes in a hard cover with dust cover, presented in a protective sleeve at R 3 795, and courier delivered within the country's borders. Both books can be ordered via the South Africa Motorsport Memories website, or contact the publisher directly at [email protected]. NOW READ: Collector's book captures six decades of Porsche racing at Kyalami
Business Mayor
08-05-2025
- Business
- Business Mayor
Autographed Warren Buffett books fetch as much as $100,000 at Berkshire meeting auction
The Berkshire Hathaway 60th Anniversary book seen at the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting in Omaha, Nebraska on May 2, 2025. Alex Harring | CNBC OMAHA, Neb. — Transpacific wire transfers. Checks arriving unexpectedly in the mail. People standing at the ready, poised to shell out tens of thousands of dollars. Such was the scene in the months leading up to and during Berkshire Hathaway 's annual meeting last weekend. The chance to obtain memorabilia signed by legendary CEO Warren Buffett sent shareholders on a mad dash to participate in a silent auction during what turned out to be a monumental gathering. In true Buffett fashion, it was all for a local charity serving his native Omaha. Attendees of the annual meeting could buy an exclusive anniversary book titled '60 Years of Berkshire Hathaway' on site. However, 18 copies signed by Buffett and author Carrie Sova, were only available via an auction to benefit Stephen Center, a shelter serving the Nebraska city where Berkshire is headquartered. Buffett pledged to match every dollar raised for the organization, which offers housing and addiction recovery programs. With the 94-year-old's contribution, the event raised more than $1.3 million, according to Chris Knauf, CEO of the Stephen Center. 'There are truly no words that can adequately express mine and our gratitude for this incredible generosity,' Knauf told CNBC in an interview. 'It's just phenomenal.' In the first phase, eight books were auctioned online ahead of the meeting, with the highest bid $100,000. Then, on Friday and Saturday, 10 books were auctioned during the 'Berkshire Bazaar of Bargains' event. More than 50 bids came in, with some as high as $60,000. The book took on an unexpected significance after Buffett shocked the investing world during the event with a surprise announcement that he planned to step down from the CEO role at year-end. Warren Buffett does a walkthrough of the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting in Omaha, Nebraska on May 3, 2025. David A. Grogen | CNBC Knauf said two additional signed books were set aside for donors who were friends with the late Charlie Munger. Buffett's longtime business partner was featured prominently in the publication. That brought the total number of signed copies supporting the Stephen Center to 20. One of the winning bidders was Matthew Rodriguez, a 43-year-old real estate professional. Rodriguez said he monitored the online auction's leaderboard, then pulled the trigger with a $50,000 bid about 15 minutes before it closed. 'It's going to be a pretty priceless artifact in my library,' Rodriguez said. As a self-proclaimed 'fan boy' of Buffett, Rodriguez said he was excited to support an organization with the billionaire investor's stamp of approval and liked that every dollar he could contribute would be matched. Because Rodriguez lives in Omaha, he was also familiar with the Stephen Center's local impact. Wires from Singapore Rodriguez was one of several donors to quickly reached out to the center after Buffett first announced the initiative in the company's annual shareholder letter released in February. The 'Oracle of Omaha' shared details about the book and the plan to fundraise for the local group in the letter, but did not explicitly lay out the steps for obtaining a signed edition. Before shareholders realized there was an auction, some sent checks directly to the charity in case it ended up being first-come, first-serve, Knauf said. When Stephen Center representatives called to let them know the process, some who weren't planning on coming to the meeting told them to keep the money as donations, citing their affection for Buffett, he said. 'What Mr. Buffett has done for me, what Mr. Buffett has done for my family, is immeasurable,' Knauf recalled hearing in these conversations with shareholders. 'If the least we can do is write a check for this charity, then we want to do it.' The Stephen Center ended up collecting more than $45,000 from donors tied to Buffett and the annual meeting outside of the auction. Beyond monetary support, Knauf said he expects Buffett's selection of the center to help spread awareness of the role of shelters play in local communities. 'We are a homeless shelter and addiction recovery campus in Omaha, Nebraska,' Knauf said. 'Did I ever think that we would be doing wire transfers from Singapore? I did not.' Shareholders enter the venue on the day of the Berkshire Hathaway Inc annual shareholders' meeting, in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S., May 3, 2025. Brendan McDermid | Reuters Helping the homeless A portion of the funds will help support a renovation of the space housing an addiction recovery program, Knauf said. Other donations will go toward construction of a women and children's center, he said. These plans come as the organization tries to aid the growing community of unhoused people in Omaha, Knauf said. He pointed to data from an annual count showing the homeless population has grown nearly 10% from last year, with what he called a particularly substantial spike in families, children and senior citizens. For shareholder Jay Ji, this mission hit close to home after his family experienced economic troubles as a child. The investment manager placed a winning bid of around $20,150 and toured the Stephen Center to see first-hand where the money would go. 'I want to just do my part,' the 43-year-old said. 'I'm more determined to try to find ways to to make sure that … fewer families will experience those kind of hardships, and whenever possible, to deploy some resources to help.' In addition to the signed books, Buffett said during his famous annual question-and-answer session that Berkshire sold around 8,000 copies of the anniversary book at the meeting. A legacy of giving back Also new to this year's gathering was a gigantic claw crane, which shareholders could pay $10 for a chance to win prizes tied to Berkshire's holding companies. Proceeds from the crane benefit Hope Center for Kids, an Omaha-based organization providing after-school and summer care for children. Both efforts underscore Buffett's decades-long emphasis on charitable giving. For more than two decades, Buffett had auctioned off a private lunch to benefit San Francisco-based nonprofit Glide. The final winner of this event in 2022 shelled out more than $19 million. Taken together, the Berkshire CEO's 21 lunches collectively raised more than $53 million. The Pilot truck simulator seen at the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting in Omaha, Nebraska on May 2, 2025. Alex Harring | CNBC Buffett has long pledged to give 99% of his personal fortune to charity. He argued against creating family wealth dynasties by leaving colossal inheritances in a letter last year. 'I've never wished to create a dynasty or pursue any plan that extended beyond the children,' Buffett wrote in the letter. 'I know the three well and trust them completely. Future generations are another matter. Who can foresee the priorities, intelligence and fidelity of successive generations to deal with the distribution of extraordinary wealth amid what may be a far different philanthropic landscape?'
Business Mayor
02-05-2025
- Business
- Business Mayor
60 years at Berkshire: See Warren Buffett's 'Woodstock for Capitalists' over the decades
In this seven image composite, shareholders gather prior to the start of the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S., on Saturday, May 1, 2010. Daniel Acker | Bloomberg | Getty Images Berkshire Hathaway 's annual meeting is far different — and larger — than it was six decades ago, when Warren Buffett took over what was then a failing Massachusetts textile company. Today's 'Woodstock for Capitalists' began with just a dozen attendees in 1965. Sixty years later, the Omaha, Nebraska gathering attracts as many as 40,000 people from around the world. Nowadays, attendees begin lining up outside the CHI Health Center in the early morning hours on Saturday to hear from Warren Buffett, the 94-year-old chief executive officer. Known as the Oracle of Omaha for dispensing investment wisdom, Buffett is also famous for sharing insights into business and strategy, not to mention advice on softer topics such as friendship and life, to a rapt audience. This year's shareholder meeting is Buffett's second without Charlie Munger, his close friend and business partner who died in 2023. Greg Abel, Berkshire Hathaway Energy chairman and Buffett's successor, will join him for questions on stage. Insurance Chief Ajit Jain will also join the pair for part of Saturday's question-and-answer event. The event has ballooned into a weekend-long array of activities, including a shopping event known as the 'Berkshire Bazaar of Bargains,' featuring products made by the conglomerate's subsidiaries. A 5-kilometer run and value investing conferences have become hallmarks of attendees' weekend itineraries. 'You've just got event after event after event,' said Christopher Bloomstran, president of Semper Augustus Investments Group. Bloomstran, who's attended the annual meeting for more than two decades, called it a 'rite of passage' for new investors. This year, the company is selling 5,000 volumes of a limited edition book, '60 Years of Berkshire Hathaway,' marking Buffett's tenure as CEO. Proceeds from an auction of copies signed by Buffett and author Carrie Sova will benefit the Stephen Center, a charity for homeless youth and adults in South Omaha. The meeting itself will look different than what many attendees remember from years past, according to the 2024 shareholder letter. Buffett will make opening remarks at 8 a.m. local time Saturday, but there will be no movie introduction, a popular feature in prior years. The question-and-answer period will only have a half-hour break and end at 1p.m., though the shopping area will remain open until 4 p.m. News outlets have covered the event for decades. The event will be broadcast exclusively by CNBC this year and webcast in English and Mandarin. Regular attendees often say there's a magic and camaraderie to the in-person experience that keeps them coming back to Omaha, where Berkshire is headquartered, despite being able to livestream the event at home. 'It really is special,' said Adam Mead, CEO of Mead Capital Management and author of 'The Complete Financial History of Berkshire Hathaway.' ''I'm not a religious person, but it has that feel of going to church.' The following are a collection of moments from meetings throughout the years compiled by CNBC in honor of Warren Buffett's 60 years leading Berkshire Hathaway. Berkshire Hathaway's CEO Warren Buffett (L) and his business partner Vice Chairman Charles Munger answer questions at a news conference May 4, 2003 in Omaha, Nebraska. Eric Francis | Getty Images Warren Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, plays the ukulele for a crowd of shareholders at the Fruit of the Loom booth during the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, Saturday, April 30, 2005. Eric Francis | Bloomberg | Getty Images In this seven image composite, shareholders gather prior to the start of the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S., on Saturday, May 1, 2010. Daniel Acker | Bloomberg | Getty Images Warren Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., sings a song with University of Nebraska cheerleaders during an event at the Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholders meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S., on Saturday, May 5, 2012. Daniel Acker | Bloomberg | Getty Images Warren Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., holds a large ping pong paddle as he plays table tennis with Ariel Hsing, a member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team, during an event at the annual shareholders meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S., on Sunday, May 6, 2012. Daniel Acker | Bloomberg | Getty Images Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. chairman and chief executive officer, right, talks with Bill Gates, billionaire and co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, as they tour the exhibition floor during the Berkshire Hathaway Inc. annual shareholders meeting in Omaha, Nebraska. Daniel Acker | Bloomberg | Getty Images Caricatures of Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. chairman and chief executive officer, and Charles Munger, vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., appear on a special edition package of Heinz ketchup and mustard during the Berkshire Hathaway Inc. annual shareholders meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S., on Saturday, May 2, 2015. Daniel Acker | Bloomberg | Getty Images The Brooks Invest in Yourself 5K Run at the 2018 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholder's Meeting in Omaha, NE. David A. Grogan | CNBC Warren Buffett speaks with the media during the 2019 BHASM in Omaha, NE on May 4th, 2019. Gerard Miller | CNBC A salesperson wears pins of Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, and Vice Chairman Charlie Munger during the annual Berkshire shareholders meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, May 3, 2019. Johannes Eisele | AFP | Getty Images Display for Brooks showing Warren Buffett at the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholder Meeting in Omaha, Nebraska. Yun Li | CNBC Warren Buffett walks the floor ahead of the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting in Omaha, Nebraska on May 3, 2024. David A. Grogen | CNBC
CNBC
02-05-2025
- Business
- CNBC
60 years at Berkshire: See Warren Buffett's 'Woodstock for Capitalists' over the decades
Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting is far different — and larger — than it was six decades ago, when Warren Buffett took over what was then a failing Massachusetts textile company. Today's "Woodstock for Capitalists" began with just a dozen attendees in 1965. Sixty years later, the Omaha, Nebraska gathering attracts as many as 40,000 people from around the world. Nowadays, attendees begin lining up outside the CHI Health Center in the early morning hours on Saturday to hear from Warren Buffett, the 94-year-old chief executive officer. Known as the Oracle of Omaha for dispensing investment wisdom, Buffett is also famous for sharing insights into business and strategy, not to mention advice on softer topics such as friendship and life, to a rapt audience. This year's shareholder meeting is Buffett's second without Charlie Munger, his close friend and business partner who died in 2023. Greg Abel, Berkshire Hathaway Energy chairman and Buffett's successor, will join him for questions on stage. Insurance Chief Ajit Jain will also join the pair for part of Saturday's question-and-answer event. The event has ballooned into a weekend-long array of activities, including a shopping event known as the "Berkshire Bazaar of Bargains," featuring products made by the conglomerate's subsidiaries. A 5-kilometer run and value investing conferences have become hallmarks of attendees' weekend itineraries. "You've just got event after event after event," said Christopher Bloomstran, president of Semper Augustus Investments Group. Bloomstran, who's attended the annual meeting for more than two decades, called it a "rite of passage" for new investors. This year, the company is selling 5,000 volumes of a limited edition book, "60 Years of Berkshire Hathaway," marking Buffett's tenure as CEO. Proceeds from an auction of copies signed by Buffett and author Carrie Sova will benefit the Stephen Center, a charity for homeless youth and adults in South Omaha. The meeting itself will look different than what many attendees remember from years past, according to the 2024 shareholder letter. Buffett will make opening remarks at 8 a.m. local time Saturday, but there will be no movie introduction, a popular feature in prior years. The question-and-answer period will only have a half-hour break and end at 1p.m., though the shopping area will remain open until 4 p.m. News outlets have covered the event for decades. The event will be broadcast exclusively by CNBC this year and webcast in English and Mandarin. Regular attendees often say there's a magic and camaraderie to the in-person experience that keeps them coming back to Omaha, where Berkshire is headquartered, despite being able to livestream the event at home. "It really is special," said Adam Mead, CEO of Mead Capital Management and author of "The Complete Financial History of Berkshire Hathaway." "'I'm not a religious person, but it has that feel of going to church." The following are a collection of moments from meetings throughout the years compiled by CNBC in honor of Warren Buffett's 60 years leading Berkshire Hathaway.
