📖Warren Buffett

Power of Compounding

🌱 Beginner★★★★★

Compound interest is the most powerful force in wealth creation — but it demands time.

💬

My wealth has come from a combination of living in America, some lucky genes, and compound interest.

— 1988 Berkshire Hathaway Letter to Shareholders，1989

🏠 Everyday Analogy

Compound interest is like rolling a snowball: the larger the snowball and the longer the slope, the more astonishing the final result. Warren Buffett once said he found very wet snow (good investments) and a very long hill (time), allowing the snowball to grow ever larger. For example, ¥10,000 with an annualized return of 15% becomes ¥660,000 after 30 years—much like a small snowball rolling into a massive boulder.

📖 Core Interpretation

The Mathematical Magic of Compounding: A 15% annual return yields 4x in 10 years, 16x in 20 years, 66x in 30 years, and 1,084x in 50 years.
💎 Key Insight：Buffett made 99% of his $100+ billion fortune after age 50. Not because he suddenly got better at investing, but because compounding is exponential — the gains in later years dwarf the early ones. Starting early and never interrupting the compounding process is more important than finding the highest-return investment. Time is the ultimate multiplier.

AI Deep Analysis

Get personalized insights and practical guidance through AI conversation

❓ Why It Matters

Key Insight: Warren Buffett earned 99% of his wealth after the age of 60. Compound interest requires time.

🎯 How to Practice

Three conditions for the success of compound interest: 1. A positive rate of return 2. A sufficiently long time horizon 3. Uninterrupted continuity

🎙️ Master's Voice

My wealth has come from a combination of living in America, some lucky genes, and compound interest.
Buffett bought his first stock at 11 and has been investing for 80+ years. Of his $100+ billion net worth, 99% was earned after his 50th birthday, and 96% after age 60. The magic of compounding requires time, which is why he started young and never stopped.

⚔️ Practical Guide

✅ Decision Checklist

  • Am I reinvesting dividends and gains?
  • Is my time horizon long enough for compounding?
  • Am I avoiding unnecessary trading that interrupts compounding?
  • Have I calculated my wealth at retirement at different return rates?

📋 Action Steps

  1. Start investing as early as possible
  2. Reinvest all dividends and capital gains
  3. Minimize taxes by holding long-term
  4. Let compounding work without interference

🚨 Warning Signs

  • Spending investment gains instead of reinvesting
  • Frequent trading that resets the compounding clock
  • Short-term thinking about long-term investments
  • Underestimating the importance of starting early

⚠️ Common Pitfalls

✕Compound interest requires a high rate of return – a stable moderate return + sufficient time > a volatile high return.
✕Compound interest is ideal for young people - it should be leveraged at any age, but the earlier, the better.

📚 Case Studies

1
History of Berkshire Hathaway (1965)
$18 per share in 1965, over $600,000 in 2024
✨ Outcome：Approximately 20% annualized compound return.
2
The Power of Early-Stage Investment (1964)
Invested $1,000 in Berkshire Hathaway in 1964
✨ Outcome：Valued at over $30 million in 2024

See how masters handle real scenarios?

30 real investment dilemmas answered by legendary investors

Explore Scenarios →