• Join Puck

    Directly Supporting Authors

    A new economic model in which writers are also partners in the business.

    Personalized Subscriptions

    Customize your settings to receive the newsletters you want from the authors you follow.

    Stay in the Know

    Connect directly with Puck talent through email and exclusive events.

  • What is puck? Newsletters Authors Podcasts Events Gift Puck Careers

Why Did Warren Buffett Eviscerate Michael Kives?

The Oracle hyper-manages his image and bristles when others leverage his name for their success. But there are a couple other, more complicated, factors as well.

Buffett bristles when friends or associates trade on his name without specific permission, even if he has praised them publicly.
Buffett bristles when friends or associates trade on his name without specific permission, even if he has praised them publicly. Photo: Daniel Zuchnik/WireImage
Matthew Belloni
June 30, 2023

By all accounts, Warren Buffett was pretty close to Michael Kives, the Clinton staffer turned “connector” talent agent turned investor and advisory firm manager. When Kives was at CAA, he represented Buffett, and booked him cameos in The Office and the Entourage movie. They spent Thanksgivings together, referred to each other as good friends, and about a decade ago, Kives interviewed Buffett at a CAA town hall event in front of the whole company.