Conclusion
The final issue raised by the case has to do with the sustainability of Buffett’s record. A bid for PacifiCorp of $9.4 billion does not seem unreasonable relative to current comparable valuations. For the PacifiCorp acquisition to be a success in the sense of matching historical returns at Berkshire, Buffett’s expectations for PacifiCorp must be radically different from current, implied, and expected values for peer firms. With an investment of this size, a mistake will have lasting adverse consequences for Berkshire and Buffett. Even if Buffett’s bet on PacifiCorp in May 2005 is correct, the need to deploy larger amounts of money will invite mistakes—as Buffet said, “A fat wallet is the enemy of superior investment results.” With more than $40 billion in cash and cash equivalents, Buffett would have been mindful of this admonition.