There was a one hour interview on CNBC with Warren Buffet, the second
richest man who has donated $31 billion to charity. Here are some very
interesting aspects of his life:

1. He bought his first share at age 11 and he now regrets that he started too late!
2. He bought a small farm at age 14 with savings from delivering newspapers.
3. He still lives in the same small 3-bedroom house in mid-town Omaha,
that he bought after he got married 50 years ago. He says that he has
everything he needs in that house. His house does not have a wall or a fence.
4. He drives his own car everywhere and does not have a driver or security people around him.
5. He never travels by private jet, although he owns the world's largest private jet company.
6. His company, Berkshire Hathaway, owns 63 companies.
He writes only one letter each year to the CEOs of these companies, giving them goals
for the year. He never holds meetings or calls them on a regular basis.
He has given his CEO's only two rules. Rule number 1: do not lose any
of your share holder's money. Rule number 2: Do not forget rule number 1.
7. He does not socialize with the high society crowd. His past time
after he gets home is to make himself some pop corn and watch Television.
8. Bill Gates, the world's richest man met him for the first time only
5 years ago. Bill Gates did not think he had anything in common with
Warren Buffet. So he had scheduled his meeting only for half hour. But
when Gates met him, the meeting lasted for ten hours and Bill Gates
became a devotee of Warren Buffet.
9. Warren Buffet does not carry a cell phone, nor has a computer on his desk.

His advice to young people: "Stay away from credit cards and invest in yourself and

Remember:
A. Money doesn't create man but it is the man who created money.
B. Live your life as simple as you are.
C. Don't do what others say, just listen them, but do what you feel good.
D. Don't go on brand name; just wear those things in which u feel comfortable.
E. Don't waste your money on unnecessary things; just spend on them who really in need rather.
F. After all it's your life then why give chance to others to rule our life."

Mulpha going big abroad

Lee Seng Huang

PETALING JAYA: Mulpha International Bhd has emerged as the largest Malaysian real estate investor and developer in Australia with assets worth RM2.2bil.

They include the Sanctuary Cove and Hyatt Regency Sanctuary Cove, both in Queensland, and the InterContinental Hotel in Sydney.

The company also owns the Hilton Melbourne Airport, Bimbadgen Estate in New South Wales' Hunter Valley.

Its Malaysian properties are worth about RM1.1bil.

Executive chairman Lee Seng Huang said Mulpha’s overseas operations contributed about 75% of total revenue, with the rest from Malaysia.

He said Mulpha was strengthening its overseas position through smart partnerships with selected companies to do major projects.

“We believe this approach will help us understand the local market better,” he said, adding that Mulpha was also keen on India.

He said one of the company's strengths was its ability to identify properties and land that have commercial potential. “For instance, we were already in Vietnam in 1991 when only now people are investing there,” he told StarBiz.

Lee expects revenue growth to come from Mulpha's overseas operation as its investments abroad is bigger than in Malaysia.

He added that the group's investments in Malaysia would eventually “balance out” by increasing its revenue contribution.

“We've maintained a low profile but we have been around for sometime and have been involved in many large property developments locally and abroad,” he said.

Mulpha’s RM2bil Leisure Farm Resort in Gelang Patah, Johor, boasts a 36-hole golf course.

Mulpha has recently been looking for more property projects in Malaysia, attracted by the revival of the property sector.

Locally, its most prestigious project is the 1,371-acre freehold RM2bil Leisure Farm Resort in Gelang Patah, Johor, that boasts a 36-hole golf course, clubhouse and equestrian facilities. It is within the South Johor Economic Region (SJER).

Lee said the resort's latest launch was the 22-acre Bayou Water Village with a “Kampung Ku” concept.

“The project will attract more people to Leisure Farm with its back-to-nature concept once the development of the IDR is completed,” he said.

He said Mulpha has another 700 acres of land that has yet to be developed in SJER, making it one of the largest landowners in south Johor.

Analysts believe the company is gearing up to acquire more land in the economic region.

“We view the SJER, especially the IDR, very favourably and expect properties in our Leisure Farm Resort to do well,” Lee said.

Mulpha's other local property projects are the RM400mil Desa Aman in Kulim, Kedah (via its 100%-owned subsidiary Golden Cignet Sdn Bhd) and Bandar Seri Ehsan near the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Lee said Mulpha was focusing on building its brand.

“We are also looking to revive some of the projects put on hold during the 1997 Asian economic crisis such as the Section 16 mixed development in Petaling Jaya and the Jalan Sultan Ismail project,” he added.

Meanwhile, on last Tuesday's sale of 75 million treasury shares of Mulpha worth RM144.5mil, Lee said they were sold via an off-market transaction.

He said in a statement that the entire placement of 75 million shares were taken up by foreign institutional investors.

“Mulpha shares were very well supported by foreign funds and we will continue with the management strategy to institutionalise our shareholder base,” he said.

He added that the placement was well received and substantially oversubscribed.

A local analyst said the fact that Mulpha shares were fully snapped up by foreign institutional investors showed their confidence in the company.

“These investors must believe they're buying into a company with quality assets,” said the analyst.