Charlie Munger's wisdom: These eight commandments of investing are worth more than any billion-dollar fortune
Charlie Munger authored a book titled Poor Charlie’s Almanack: The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger. While the title plays on Benjamin Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanack, some might argue it had an unintended double meaning. Recently, Helios Mutual Fund’s CEO, Samir Arora, raised an intriguing question on X about Munger’s relatively ‘modest’ net worth of $2.6 billion, compared to his long-time partner Warren Buffett’s fortune. It turns out that on a relative scale, compared to what people expect, he really was ‘Poor Charlie’!
However, I think investors should ignore Munger’s poverty entirely. The real wealth he created wasn’t just about his net worth, but in the intellectual capital he gave to generations of investors. Consider the investment principles Munger outlined in a speech summarised by John Templeton, a reference in the same X post. These eight commandments of investing are worth more than any billion-dollar fortune because they’ve helped countless investors build their wealth. Let’s examine why these principles are so valuable.
First, Munger’s emphasis on specialisation and understanding your ‘circle of competence’ has saved many investors from costly mistakes. His anecdote on Bobby Fischer brilliantly illustrates this: When asked how to beat the chess champion, his answer was simple, ‘Get him to play you at any game except chess.’ The lesson? Stay within your domain of expertise.
His insights on scale and bureaucracy are particularly relevant today. When he warned that ‘bigger is not better if it
