Berkshire Says Its Annual Meeting Is A Go For May 2, Despite Coronavirus Outbreak

Berkshire’s Warren Buffett has said that the company’s annual shareholder meeting, scheduled for May 2, is going to take place as planned, despite the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S.

Some of the surrounding events around the meeting may wind up being curtailed, however. 

Berkshire posted a brief announcement on its website early this week that simply says:

The Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting will be held on May 2, 2020 irrespective of conditions at that time. The scope of the meeting and associated activities may be modified by circumstances at the time, but we have no present plans to do so.

Buffett’s shareholder meeting is one of the largest corporate gatherings in America, according to Reuters. And what better way to show your “buy stocks forever” and “America (and its Central Bankers) will prevail” sentiment than to ignore the science behind the coronavirus and get 40,000 or more people into the same meeting rooms and events in Omaha over a three day weekend. 

The events include not only the meeting, but a picnic, a 5K run and even a dinner for select attendees at a nearby steakhouse.

For those not interested in contracting coronavirus, the meeting will also be livestreamed by Yahoo Finance, who will allow viewers to watch Buffett’s top lieutenant, Charlie Munger, field incoming questions for hours. 

Buffett’s recommendation flies in the face of many U.S. companies that are now restricting travel for employees in response to the outbreak. Buffett said that he “expected” that many of the Chinese visitors who typically make their way to Omaha won’t attend this year.

He’d better hope so…