10 Quotes That Show Warren Buffett's Lighter Side

The world of Wall Street can be an intense and serious place. Fortunes are gained and lost on every tick of the market. Sometimes the public perception of the successful stock trader is closer to a ruthless, cold-hearted shark than a charming, soft-spoken, laid-back gentleman such as Warren Buffett.

By listening to Buffett's often witty and humble interviews, it might be hard to guess that he's the third-wealthiest man in the world. He likes to share his humor in his annual letters to Berkshire Hathaway Inc (NYSE: BRK-A)(NYSE: BRK-B) shareholders.

Back in 2014, Berkshire added nearly 10,000 employees. "The increase, I am proud to say, included no gain at headquarters (where 25 people work). No sense going crazy," Buffett joked at the time.

Related Link: Warren Buffett Calls Mr. Market A 'Drunken Psycho'

Here's a list of 10 Warren Buffett quotes that show off both the billionaire's insight and his lighter side.

1. "I buy expensive suits. They just look cheap on me."
2. "Risk comes from not knowing what you're doing."
3. "Wall Street is the only place that people ride to work in a Rolls Royce to get advice from those who take the subway."
4. "We believe that according the name 'investors' to institutions that trade actively is like calling someone who repeatedly engages in one-night stands a 'romantic.'"
5. "A public-opinion poll is no substitute for thought."
6. "Only when the tide goes out do you discover who's been swimming naked."
7. "Of the billionaires I have known, money just brings out the basic traits in them. If they were jerks before they had money, they are simply jerks with a billion dollars."
8. "Beware of geeks bearing formulas."
9. "If past history was all there was to the game, the richest people would be librarians."
10. "I sent one email in my life. I sent it to Jeff Raikes at Microsoft, and it ended up in court in Minneapolis, so I am one for one."

Photo: Warren Buffett illustration by Joel Stralnic.

This post was originally published on March 3, 2015.