If Warren Buffett Had Used This Common Practice, Charlie Munger Says Berkshire Hathaway's Value Could Have Doubled: 'The Reason We Didn't Is…'

Former Vice Chairman, late Charlie Munger, had told CNBC that Berkshire Hathaway Inc. BRK BRK could have doubled in value if he and Warren Buffett had made use of leverage while purchasing businesses and stocks.

What Happened: Munger, who recently passed away, emphasized that he and Buffett rarely employed this common Wall Street strategy in consideration for their shareholders.

“Berkshire could easily be worth twice what it is now. And the extra risk you would’ve taken would’ve been practically nothing. All we had to do is just use a little more leverage that was easily available,” Munger highlighted during CNBC’s special “Charlie Munger: A Life of Wit and Wisdom.”

"The reason we didn't is the idea of disappointing a lot of people who had trusted us when we were young … If we lost three quarters of our money, we were still very rich. That wasn't true of every shareholder."

"Losing three quarters of the money would've been a big letdown."

See Also: ‘Dogecoin Killer’ Shiba Inu Burn Rate Skyrockets By 500% As Shibarium Logs Over 4M Transactions

Why It Matters: While leverage is commonly used on Wall Street to enhance potential returns on investments, it also increases risk as losses can multiply rapidly if the investment does not yield the expected results.

Munger noted that he and Buffett had been “very cautious” in handling their shareholders’ money over the years, acknowledging that Berkshire did use leverage in the form of its insurance float. “Insurance float gave us some leverage. That’s why we went into it,” he said.

Price Action: On Thursday, Berkshire Hathaway Inc Class A and Berkshire Hathaway Inc Class B shares closed 0.3% higher in the regular session, according to the data from Benzinga Pro.

Read Next: Forget Nancy Pelosi, This Democratic Senator Made Up To $55K Profit In Nearly 3 Weeks On This Medical Device Stock That’s Lost 40% In Last 5 Years

Photo by Shuttershock