Warren Buffett's amazing ukulele-based recovery plan

As one of the most successful investors in world, Warren Buffett inspires the kind of giddy fan devotion that is usually reserved for Zach Efron or the Jonas Brothers. Even people who only have the slightest idea about what Berkshire Hathaway does know that Buffett still lives in the same house that he bought in 1958, that he pays less in taxes than his secretary, and that he has pledged to give most of his fortune to charities.

But did you know about this?





Less well-known among the famed businessman's numerous talents is his skill as a ukulele player. He has played it in concert, and has even tutored Bill Gates on the finer points of the instrument. Among uke fans, he is somewhat famous, having inspired the beautiful "Dairy Queen Ukulele"; for a while, there was even a rumor that he was scheduled to strum at Barack Obama's inauguration.

Given his fame in the Uke demimonde, it should not be surprising that ukulele-slinging performance artist Robert Greenawalt and director David Barratt seem to have fixated on him. On December 7, 2008, the two staged For the Benefit of Mr. Buffett, a 14-hour concert in which they, joined by an army of guest musicians, performed and recorded ukulele-accompanied versions of the entire 184-song Beatles catalog.

Greenawalt and Barratt then stuffed the proceeds from the concert into a brown paper bag, which they subsequently presented to Mr. Buffett. In one of the most hilarious interviews ever, Buffett discusses his love of the ukulele, his opinions about the future of capitalism, and how the ukulele might just help us strum our way to a stronger economy!