Warren Buffett News: Secret Millionaires Club, Ping Pong

Buffett Trails S&P 500 for Third Straight Year (Business Week)
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. shareholders missed out on better returns from the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index by sticking with Chairman Warren Buffett after each of his last three annual meetings. Berkshire fell 2.4 percent from the firm’s April 30, 2011, meeting through yesterday, compared with the 2.8 percent advance in the S&P 500. (SPX) This year’s gathering, planned for May 5 in Omaha, Nebraska, concludes three years in which Berkshire climbed about 32 percent, trailing the S&P 500’s gain of around 60 percent.

Warren Buffett’s Olympic Discovery (The Wall Street Journal)
Ariel Hsing was 11 when Warren Buffett first recruited her to play ping pong at the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting. Five years later, she exemplifies Buffett’s gift for spotting winners. At 16, she is America’s top-ranked under-18 player and No. 2 overall. Two weeks ago, she won a spot on the U.S. Olympic table-tennis team. At the Berkshire bash in Omaha this weekend, shareholders will have a chance to challenge her. …By offering his shareholders a chance to play Hsing, Buffett has put to test the amateur athlete’s most beloved conceit: On a good day, the amateur thinks, he could rank among the best. This notion can arise from a game-winning shot in pickup basketball, a near-perfect outing at the bowling alley, even a high-speed weave through traffic.

Warren Buffett’s Secret Millionaires Club Grow Your Own Business Challenge Announces Finalists (Digital Journal)
What do the calculator, Popsicle and Alaskan flag have in common? They were all created by kids! So, it’s no surprise that more than 3,000 kids from around the country — ages 7 to 16 — submitted entrepreneurial business ideas to the Secret Millionaires Club (SMC) “Grow Your Own Business Challenge,” based on the SMC animated series. Competition entrants vied for a chance to win the ultimate prize: presenting their idea to Warren Buffett. Today, five individual and three team finalists were announced by the Secret Millionaires Club creator, A Squared Elxsi Entertainment and Secret Millionaires Club Learn and Earn exclusive sponsor, CreditReport.com. The finalists will present their business ideas to Warren Buffett on May 21 in Omaha, Nebraska.