中文导读
5月6日，
巴菲特股东大会于美国奥马哈举行，这场全球瞩目的投资盛会
吸引了数千名中国投资者前往参加。现年86岁的
巴菲特不仅仅
是美国最有名的投资者，在中国也同样有众多的追随者。今年3月，可口可乐为了在中国推广樱桃味可乐，特别推出了印有巴菲特头像的短期限量专供，
显然是考虑到了巴菲特在中国的影响力和极佳的口碑。
The Oracle of Omaha has legions of fans but few true followers in China
AS THE second-richest person in the world, and with a half-century record of investing success, Warren Buffett is a household name worldwide. But in China, he is something more: a celebrity. In March a special edition of Cherry Coke, featuring a cartoon image of the 86-year-old investor, hit Chinese shop shelves (Mr Buffett not only loves the sugary beverage; he is Coke’s largest shareholder). On May 6th thousands of Chinese investors will
descend on
Omaha for the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, his holding company, and many more will tune into a live-stream of the event. Mandarin is the only foreign language into which the proceedings will be simultaneously translated. Those who miss the broadcast can pick up one of the hundreds of Chinese books about his approach to
minting money
.
Mr Buffett’s stature in China stems partly from good timing. China’s modern stockmarket was launched in 1990. Just as
neophyte
investors
grappled with
earnings reports and trend lines, the Oracle of Omaha’s reputation as the world’s best stock-picker was blossoming. Compared with the regular
booms and busts
of the Chinese stockmarket, the steady returns of Berkshire Hathaway are
beguiling
. For Chinese investors who do make it big, there are few greater accolades than to be dubbed the “Warren Buffett of China”. This title has been conferred on or claimed by no fewer than ten tycoons.
But they might want to think twice. In the Chinese context, declarations of Buffett-like investment abilities have, over the past couple of years, proved less a badge of honour than a warning sign. In rapid succession his
putative disciples
have run into trouble. One was jailed for manipulating the stockmarket. A second has been held
incommunicado
in custody for months. A third was hauled in as part of a government investigation.
This
chasm
between the veneration for Mr Buffett and the
travails
