This week, I attended The All-In Summit here in Miami, a three-day conference featuring “the besties” and hosts of the All-In Podcast Jason Calacanis, Chamath Palihapitiya, David Sacks, and David Friedberg.
Something extraordinary was pulled off over those 72 hours.
I think I witnessed the beginning of what will one day (very soon) have the cultural significance of the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting for this generation. I’m not alone in this sentiment, and I’ve seen others call the summit the next TED, and I agree with that assessment too, but I’ll explain my thinking around the Berkshire analogy below.
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Until September 2021, I spent 11 years as a journalist, interviewing some of the top leaders in business and investing. I’ve also attended many conferences, including the Berkshire Hathaway AGM in Omaha and the Daily Journal AGM in Los Angeles featuring Charlie Munger. Still, I haven’t seen anything quite like The All-In Summit.
Aside from the top-notch and flawless production, the All-In Summit featured a diverse lineup of high-caliber speakers, nuanced discussions, genuine debates, key learning moments, and an extended Q&A with the besties as they imbibed on a bottle of red wine from Chamath’s guy from Carbone.
It was a rare event where you wanted to attend every talk and be fully engaged. I mean it! As I looked around the New World Symphony auditorium, I noticed that no one was on a laptop — they, too, were fully immersed in the discussions. I brought my computer but would have been too embarrassed to pull it out for note-taking.
So why the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting comparison?
For me, three things come to mind:
Berkshire Hathaway’s Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger are the epitomai of friendship, with their friendship spanning six decades and their business partnership four decades. Having never had an argument or falling out, it’s clear the famed investing duo have deep respect and admiration for one another. While Buffett is Berkshire's more public and recognizable face, today’s conglomerate was built on Munger’s blueprint of moving beyond so-called “cigar-butt” investing to “buying wonderful businesses at fair prices.” While Buffett often credits Munger for his success, he also emphasizes that his friend and business partner has made him a “better person.”
If you’re not familiar with the All-In Podcast, it began in March 2020 as a way for four friends — who often play poker together — to meet and stay connected over Zoom during the pandemic. The chemistry among Jason, Chamath, David, and Friedberg is undeniable, which is why I think their show is so successful. They are always there for each other through thick and thin. The listeners can feel the loyalty and the love they have for each other, even if David Sacks won’t say “I love you” back to the rest.
I love going to the Berkshire Hathaway AGM and the Daily Journal AGM (the meeting featuring Charlie Munger solo). Aside from the learning, I appreciate the friendships and community built through following Buffett and Munger. I feel the same way about the All-In Summit and the podcast.
The ad-free podcast has grown a community of more than 178,000 subscribers, and 700 were lucky enough to snag a ticket to the conference. The price of admission was $7,500, but 300 of us were able to secure a scholarship, with the average scholarship attendee still paying around $600. It was a global event, too, with people traveling from Abu Dhabi and Sydney.
I’ll admit that I was nervous at first, not knowing anyone. Those nerves immediately went away as I waited to pick up my badge and began having conversations in line with fellow attendees. It remained that way throughout the event, from being invited to lunch or someone asking if I’d sit with them during the panels. I’ve never felt more welcomed at a conference than at the All-In Summit, demonstrated by the diversity of speakers and the attendees.
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