How Warren Buffett’s Protégé Used a Simple Habit to Achieve Success

In a remarkable tale of investment success spanning three decades, Ted Weschler—now one of Warren Buffett’s top lieutenants at Berkshire Hathaway—transformed a modest retirement account into a fortune worth hundreds of millions.

His journey offers valuable insights into the power of consistent investing, compound growth, and strategic thinking.

How ProPublica Learned About Weschler’s Account

The extraordinary growth of Weschler’s retirement account came to light through ProPublica’s investigative reporting in June 2021. Through their analysis of federal tax returns, they uncovered the astronomical growth of his individual retirement account (IRA).

The investigation was part of its “Secret IRS Files” series, which examined how the wealthiest Americans exploit the tax code. Using a trove of IRS data, ProPublica identified cases where retirement accounts—designed to aid average working families—had been transformed into massive, tax-advantaged wealth vehicles.

While ProPublica’s exposé sparked public debate about tax policy, Weschler himself expressed mixed feelings about the publicity. He said he would have preferred to keep the information private, but decided to use the revelation as an opportunity to educate others about the importance of early retirement planning.

How Ted Weschler Grew His Account

Weschler’s opened his first retirement account in 1984 as a 22-year-old junior financial analyst earning a modest $22,000 salary. Through a combination of maximizing his contributions and taking full advantage of employer matching, he grew the account to around $70,000 by 1989.

Later, he converted his retirement savings into a self-directed IRA, giving him complete control over his investment decisions. Weschler persevered despite experiencing a significant setback in 1990, when his account lost 52% of its value, viewing the losses not as failures but as “unmonetized lessons.”

His investment philosophy centered on deep research and concentrated positions in what he saw as undervalued stocks. In 2000, Weschler launched a hedge fund and began to focus on a small number of companies, often holding positions for extended periods. He applied this approach to his own investments, focusing on understanding business fundamentals, competitive advantages, and management quality to determine which companies were undervalued. This patient approach helped him achieve a remarkable 22% average annual return after fees from 2000 to 2011.

In 2012, he made the strategic decision to convert his traditional IRA to a Roth IRA—paying $28 million in taxes in the process—but effectively protecting his gains from future taxation. This move demonstrated long-term and tax-efficient thinking.

The $5 Million Lunch and Subsequent Job Offer

Weschler met Warren Buffett by seizing an unusual opportunity. He paid a total of $5 million at charity auctions to have lunch with Buffett in 2010 and again in 2011. These two meetings impressed Buffett so much he hired Weschler at Berkshire Hathaway in 2012 as an investment manager.

Since then, Weschler has focused on identifying large-cap companies that meet Berkshire’s strict investment criteria.

Lessons From Weschler to Young Investors

In advising young investors, Weschler emphasizes simplicity and consistency. He points out that even if his original retirement account had been simply invested in an S&P 500 index fund, it would have grown to approximately $1.6 million by 2021.

His core recommendations for retirement savers include:

• Start early
• Maximize employer matches (if available)
• Conducting careful research and due diligence
• Investing 100% in equities
• Avoid distractions from market noise

He particularly emphasizes index funds for investors who lack the time or inclination to study individual investments deeply.

The Bottom Line

Weschler’s extraordinary success demonstrates the power of long-term, shrewd value investing combined with disciplined decision-making. While his results may be difficult to replicate, his fundamental principles of starting early, consistent investing, and learning from setbacks provide a valuable roadmap for anyone looking to build long-term wealth through retirement accounts.