Rusty Holzer – Remembering and Living the Wisdom of Charlie Munger

Charlie Munger passed away at the end of 2023. A wildly successful investor and philanthropist, Munger’s dedication to his principles made him a personal hero of mine.

His rules for career satisfaction and a successful work life were simple and straightforward, including precepts such as:

“Work only with people you enjoy, be reliable, and don’t sell anything you wouldn’t buy yourself.”

Munger and his longtime business partner, Warren Buffett, were devoted to lifelong learning. They spent hours of everyday reading and thinking in order to further their education.

“Go to bed smarter than when you woke up”, is a classic Munger axiom that I try to follow.

Finding quiet time to read and think is not easy in today’s fast paced world, but I have made it a priority to spend as much time as I can learning from a wide variety of books, news sources, and podcasts.

Equally important is surrounding myself with insightful people with whom to share ideas.

Friends, family, and colleagues help challenge my assumptions and bring different perspective, making the learning deeper and more valuable.

The challenge of going to bed smarter than when I woke is demanding, but the more I learn, the more motivated I am to continue learning.

I am grateful to Mr. Munger for his inspiration.

From the desk of Rusty Holzer