Bronze bust of the late Charlie Munger wowed the Omaha crowd at the Berkshire rally

OMAHA, Neb. – A 2-foot-tall bronze bust of the late Charlie Munger became a talking point for guests staying at the Omaha Marriott last weekend for Berkshire Hathaway’s annual meeting.

The hotel, next door to the Berkshire-owned jewelry store Borsheims, was the favorite haunt of the investment icon, who died in November at the age of 99, whenever he visited his birthplace and the Berkshire headquarters of his longtime partner and confidant Warren Buffett.

Placed in the lobby accompanied by glasses of champagne and brochures, the sculpture quickly caught the attention of scores of Berkshire shareholders passing by, as well as two special admirers: Munger’s own daughter Wendy and his longtime executive assistant Doerthe Obert.

“I went back to the lobby and the hotel staff said, ‘Doerthe came down twice to look for you,’” Yu Shu, the 39-year-old artist behind the sculpture, told CNBC in an interview. “Then they called Doerthe and she came down. I gave her a hug and told her ‘nice to see you again’ and she said ‘we’ve never met before.'”

Indeed, this was not the first time Yu met Obert. The broker-turned-artist, himself a Berkshire shareholder, made a surprise visit to Munger’s Los Angeles home in March 2023, hoping to meet Munger and tell him about the sculpture in the making. While she was denied a meeting, she asked Obert for close-ups of his profile to refine facial details.

It took a total of 12 months and a number of attempts before Yu completed the final version of the Munger bust. She attended 10 annual meetings in Berkshire and said she was inspired by a piece of life advice from Warren Buffett to turn her love of art – and Berkshire – into a business.

“His words at the 2022 annual meeting resonated with me: ‘If you do what you love, you will never work a day in your life.’ I thought: ‘how can I turn my passion into a business?’ Yu said.

Full size copies of the bronze busts are available for $19,500 each, while half-size cold-cast bronze busts cost $595. The artist, who grew up in Chengdu, China and currently splits her time between Denver and Taiwan, said she is currently working on large Buffett sculptures.

“Charlie Munger has always been a personal hero of mine, so he was the subject of my first sculpture,” Yu said. “Creating a bronze sculpture is so much like value investing; it requires patience and perseverance.”

Last weekend, a longtime Berkshire shareholder purchased the bust of Munger, the one that once graced the lobby of the Marriott. The buyer preferred to remain anonymous, but said he hopes to donate the artwork to the Munger family.