It may not be where George Washington slept, or Elvis grew up, but for many investors it’s the next best thing. Some fortunate Berkshire Hathaway investors at this year's annual meeting will get the chance to sleep in the same bedroom Warren Buffett did as a boy.
The home-sharing service Airbnb is offering three nights at the Omaha home around the May 2 meeting as a way to promote its services. Shareholders who want to stay at the three-bedroom house must submit short essays and prove they own Berkshire stock.
The crowd that fills Omaha's downtown arena and several overflow rooms to listen to Buffett answer questions always books every hotel room in the region. Buffett's childhood home is about 15 minutes away from the arena. Airbnb is signing up people willing to rent all or part of their homes to help provide rooms for the more than 40,000 people expected to attend this year's meeting. Buffett has said he hopes Airbnb can help shareholders who don't want to pay for the expensive three-night minimum stays that some Omaha hotels require during the meeting. He has long been reluctant to invest in technology companies because it's hard to predict which ones will thrive, and Berkshire doesn't have a stake in Airbnb.
IN-DEPTH
-- The Associated Press