RWH019: Winning the Long Game w/ John Spears

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN: 04:04 - How John Spears became obsessed with investing when he was 12 years old. 11:34 - How skipping school to meet an investing legend set him on a path to success. 16:07 - How a catastrophic early investment humbled John & taught him to be more prudent. 24:12 - Why he focuses intensely on tracking insider buying of cheap stocks by top executives. 27:28 - What he learned by studying Ben Graham & teaching himself to buy cheap stocks. 32:42 - How Warren Buffett bought his stake in Berkshire Hathaway through Tweedy, Browne. 41:54 - What it was like sharing an office with another fabled investor, Walter Schloss. 50:12 - Why John owns high-quality compounders like Heineken & Nestle, which aren’t cheap. 52:01 - What empirical research has taught him about the strategies that work best over time. 1:01:29 - Why we should focus on achieving “satisfactory” returns, not shooting the lights out. 1:08:40 - Why it’s wise to avoid a lot of debt, live within your means, & keep ample cash reserves. 1:12:02 - Why we should diversify overseas, maximizing our odds of finding undervalued stocks.  1:13:36 - How John thinks about investing in foreign markets like China, the U.K., & Switzerland. 1:20:40 - Why he prefers to own a “dull old” stock like Tesco, instead of something sexier & riskier.  1:27:42 - What factors have contributed to him having a happy life. 1:38:01 - How the principles he learned as a Quaker have influenced the way he lives & works. 1:50:36 - Why he regards capitalism as a powerful force for good. Disclaimer: Slight discrepancies in the timestamps may occur due to podcast platform differences. BOOKS AND RESOURCES Join the exclusive TIP Mastermind Community to engage in meaningful stock investing discussions with Stig, Clay, and the other community members. Tweedy, Browne’s research papers on what’s worked in investing over the long run. The Tweedy, Browne International Value Fund. William Green’s book, “Richer, Wiser, Happier” – read the reviews of this book. William Green’s Twitter. NEW TO THE SHOW? Check out our We Study Billionaires Starter Packs. Browse through all our episodes (complete with transcripts) here. Try our tool for picking stock winners and managing our portfolios: TIP Finance Tool. Enjoy exclusive perks from our favorite Apps and Services. Stay up-to-date on financial markets and investing strategies through our daily newsletter, We Study Markets. Learn how to better start, manage, and grow your business with the best business podcasts.  SPONSORS Support our free podcast by supporting our sponsors: River Toyota Sun Life The Bitcoin Way Range Rover Sound Advisory BAM Capital Fidelity SimpleMining Briggs & Riley Public Shopify Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://theinvestorspodcastnetwork.supportingcast.fm