Obama Gets Economic Help From Gates, Buffett (MSFT, BRK-A)

Can Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK-A) Chairman Warren Buffett and Microsoft Corp. MSFT co-founder Bill Gates help boost the economy? According to Bloomberg President Barack Obama met with the two men this morning to find out. Obama reportedly called for the Oval Office meeting to discuss Buffett and Gates' Giving Pledge project, which encourages the nation's wealthiest professionals to donate most of their fortunes to charity. Mark Zuckerberg is one of the many billionaires who have signed the pledge. In addition to charity, the three men were also said to discuss the United States' economic competitiveness, including the need to boost investments in education. This meeting is a prelude to a forthcoming summit in which Obama will meet with several business leaders – including General Electric GE Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Immelt and Google Inc. GOOG Chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt – to discuss issues related to economic growth including exports, regulation, and the budget deficit.