Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger and Berkshire Hathaway may not be fans of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac today, but in the past, they’ve been some of these businesses largest owners. Indeed, in 1999 while Buffett owned around 9% of Freddie Mac, a position worth nearly $3.9 billion at market value.
This was a hugely lucrative position for Berkshire Hathaway. Between 1990 and 1998, the value of the position rose from around $100 million to $3.9 billion representing a return of almost 1200% on cost. During 2000, Buffett sold the entire position and has since stayed away from the company.
Why Munger and Buffett controlled entities took a liking to Freddie Mac is laid out in the Wesco Financial Corporation 1988 annual...
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