Warren Buffett’s First Job — and the Money Lessons You Can Learn From It
沃伦·巴菲特的第一份工作，以及你可以从中学到的金钱智慧
Few American investors are as widely revered as Warren Buffett, the 94-year-old business magnate, investor and philanthropist worth a cool 146 billion bucks.
在美国投资界，很少有人能像沃伦·巴菲特那样备受尊敬。这位94岁的商业巨头、投资家和慈善家，身家高达1460亿美元。
Many are curious as to how the “Oracle of Omaha” amassed his spectacular wealth. Though the vast majority of his fortune he earned as a grown adult, there’s reason to believe that some of what he learned (and what he values) about investing and work ethic stems from his first childhood job as a newspaper delivery boy.
许多人都好奇这位“奥马哈先知”是如何积累起如此惊人的财富的。尽管他大部分的财富是在成年后赚取的，但有理由相信，他学到的（以及他所珍视）的投资和职业道德观念来自他的第一份童年工作——作为一名报童送报纸的经历。
Which money lessons did he likely learn from this little gig, and how do those inform his decisions today?What can you take away from them? With the help of finance experts, let’s explore.
那么，从这份小小的工作中，他可能学到了哪些金钱智慧？这些智慧又如何影响他今天的决策？你又能从中学到什么呢？在金融专家的帮助下，让我们一起来探讨。
1. He Invested Right Away
他立刻开始投资
One of the most common misconceptions out there is that you don’t have enough money to invest. Buffett most certainly did not see it that way when he was young. And this has worked tremendously to his success.
一个常见的误区是，人们觉得自己没有足够的钱进行投资。而年轻时的巴菲特显然不这么认为。这种观念对他的成功起到了巨大的推动作用。
At age 15, Buffett took $1,200 of his newspaper earnings and invested in a 40-acre farm.
15岁时，巴菲特用送报纸赚来的1200美元，投资了一片40英亩（约16万平方米）的农田。
Scott Lieberman, founder of Touchdown Money, said, “Somewhere in his earliest years, Warren Buffett looked at a bit of money and thought, ‘Hmm, I bet I could make this grow.’ That thought stayed with him, and now he’s one of the richest people in the world.”
Touchdown Money创始人斯科特·利伯曼表示：“在他年少时期的某个时候，沃伦·巴菲特看到了一点点钱，然后想，‘嗯，我打赌我可以让这笔钱增长。’这个想法一直伴随着他，如今他成了世界上最富有的人之一。”
Of course, Buffett’s investing journey had only just begun — but he has stayed close to his farmland-investing roots.
当然，巴菲特的投资之路才刚刚开始——但他始终没有远离自己的农田投资理念。
“Today, in addition to the billions in companies he’s invested in, he owns nearly a quarter of a million acres of farmland,” said Chris Rawley, CEO of Harvest Returns. “He believes buying and holding assets that produce cash flows is the secret to investing success.”
“如今，除了他投资的那些市值数十亿美元的公司之外，他还拥有近25万英亩（超过1亿平方米）的农田。”Harvest Returns的首席执行官克里斯·罗利说：“他相信，购买和持有能够产生现金流的资产，是投资成功的秘诀。”
The lesson here is to start early —even if you think you don’t have enough to get far in investing. In time, you will.
这里的启示是：尽早开始，即使你觉得自己没有足够的资金去投资。随着时间的推移，你的投资收益会逐渐增长。
2. He Was an Entrepreneur From the Start
他从一开始就是企业家
Buffett was quite possibly the only kid in his neighborhood pocketing all of his hard-earned cash to invest in farmland. But being the odd one out didn’t stop him, because he had a vision.
巴菲特可能是他所在社区唯一一个将辛苦赚来的钱全部用于投资农田的孩子。但与众不同并没有阻止他的发展，因为他有远见。
“Have an entrepreneurial spirit, even if you are not self-employed,” said Michele Paiva, a licensed psychotherapist specializing in financial therapy at The Finance Therapist. “This means paying attention to the bigger picture and keeping an eye on the details of your habits.
“要有企业家的精神，即使你不是自己创业。”金融治疗师、持牌心理治疗师米歇尔·帕伊瓦表示：“这意味着关注大局，同时也留意自己习惯的细节。
Short-term success or fly-by-night popularity has always been present in our culture, but long-term success has specific stability and dignity that can’t be denied. The entrepreneurial spirit helps to hone the skills that help someone foster growth and stability.”
在我们的文化中，短期的成功或一时的流行总是存在，但长期的成功拥有特定的稳定性和威严，这种特质无法被否认。企业家精神有助于培养技能，帮助个人实现增长和稳定。”
3. He Practiced Patience
他懂得耐心
As noted, Buffett didn’t stop investing after buying farmland; he kept going and going and going. From the start, he has been committed to a long-term approach to investing — a lesson that everyone can learn from.
如前所述，巴菲特在购买农田之后并没有停下脚步；他持续投资。从最开始，他就一直坚持着长期投资的方法。这是每个人都能从中学到的。
“He emphasizes the importance of patience and staying committed to quality investments over time,” said Young Pham, an investment analyst and wealth management professional with BizReport. “This approach reminds us that success in investing often comes from holding onto assets and allowing them to grow steadily over the years.”
“他强调耐心的重要性，并坚持长期持有优质投资。”BizReport机构的投资分析师兼财富管理专业人士潘杨表示：“这种方法提醒我们，投资的成功往往来自于长期持有资产，让它们在时间推移中稳定增长。”
4. He Showed He Was Reliable at a Young Age
他从小就表现出可靠性
Buffett was a diligent worker with a strong mind for finance at a young age. Getting up at the crack of dawn every morning to deliver newspapers couldn’t have been totally easy on him, but Buffett was clearly keen on showing that he was reliable and trustworthy. These are hard-to-teach traits that are valuable to learn.
巴菲特从小就是一名勤奋的工作者，并且具有强大的财务头脑。对童年时代的巴菲特来说，每天清晨早早起床送报纸肯定不轻松，但巴菲特显然很愿意表现出自己的可靠和可信赖。这种品质很难通过教学给到，但却很有学习的价值。
“Buffett places a high value on integrity and reputation,” Pham said. “He has built a reputation for honesty and ethical behavior, which has earned him the trust of investors and business partners. This teaches us the importance of integrity and ethical conduct in all aspects of life and business.”
“巴菲特非常看重诚信和声誉。”潘杨表示：“他用诚实和道德行为建立了自己的声誉，赢得了投资者和商业伙伴的信任。这教会我们，诚信和道德行为在生活和商业中的重要性。”
5. He Took His Time
他不急于求成
New investors are often in a hurry to get rich; but, if you take the Buffett approach, you shouldn’t bank on overnight success.
新手投资者往往急于致富，但如果你采用巴菲特的方法，就不应指望一夜暴富。
Think about it: Saving up $1,200 from delivering newspapers in order to buy land must have taken quite a while.
试想一下：靠送报纸攒下1200美元来购买农田，这必定花了相当长的时间。
“Building wealth is a marathon and not a sprint,” said Robert R. Johnson, Ph.D., CFA and professor of finance at Heider College of Business at Creighton University. “The surest way to build true long-term wealth for retirement is to invest in the stock market. Mistakes begin early in life and the biggest financial mistake people make is taking too little risk, not too much risk. People need to begin compounding early and let that compounding work its patient magic over decades.”
“积累财富是一场马拉松，而不是短跑冲刺。”克雷顿大学海德商学院金融学教授罗伯特·R·约翰逊博士表示。“建立真正的长期财富最可靠的方法，就是投资股票市场。人们在早期容易犯的最大错误，就是承担的风险太少，而不是风险太大。人们需要尽早利用复利的力量，让复利在数十年间发挥神奇的作用。”
6. He Didn’t Let Emotions Get in the Way
他没有让情绪左右自己
It’s difficult, if not impossible, to imagine what Buffett was thinking about when he was working his menial job as a kid and saving every penny. But he likely was staying deeply focused and not letting his emotions sway him. This is a form of discipline he has maintained over the years.
当巴菲特还是个小孩子，做着这份微不足道的工作、存下每一分钱的时候，我们很难想象，甚至无法想象他当时的内心在想什么。但他很可能保持高度的专注，没有被情绪左右。他在接下来的岁月中一直保持着这种自律。
“Buffett has said that having the right temperament is more important than any other quality as a predictor of investment success,” said David Kass, clinical professor of finance at University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. “It is not necessary to have an IQ greater than 125. He has said jokingly that if you have an IQ that is greater than 125, you should sell the extra points.
“巴菲特曾说过，作为一名成功的投资预测，拥有正确的情绪比其他任何素质都更重要。”马里兰大学罗伯特·H·史密斯商学院实践金融学教授大卫·卡斯表示：“拥有超过125分的智商并不是必要的。他曾开玩笑地说，如果你的智商超过125分，你应该把多余的分数卖掉。
“His bottom line recommendation is: The best investment anyone can make is in themselves. This will provide you with the knowledge and skills to most likely succeed as the economic environment changes.”
“他的核心建议是：任何人最好的投资，就是投资自己。这将为你提供知识和技能，让你在不断变化的经济环境中更有可能获得成功。”
7. He Embraced ‘Self-Enrichment’
他重视“自我提升”
Buffett, Paiva points out, is known for self-enrichment, which is the process of increasing intellectual or spiritual resources. This isn’t only an important finance lesson, it’s also an important life lesson.
帕伊瓦指出，巴菲特以自我提升而闻名，自我提升是指增加个人的智力或精神资源。这不仅是一条重要的理财建议，也是一条重要的人生智慧。
“Acquire a taste for reading to improve skills and stay aware of what your competitors are learning,” Paiva said. “Buffett learns from others and never professes to know it all. I support the mindset that knowledge is power, and it is the one thing that can’t be taken away from you. Buffett is influential because he is informed, not only because he is wealthy and successful.”
“培养阅读的习惯，提升自己的技能，了解你的竞争对手正在学习什么。”帕伊瓦说：“巴菲特从他人身上学习，从不自称无所不知。我支持‘知识就是力量’的理念，因为知识唯一无法被剥夺的东西。巴菲特之所以具有影响力，是因为他见多识广，而不仅仅因为他富有和成功。”
8. He Invested in What He Understood
他投资自己理解的领域
Buffett champions investing in industries you understand. Though he was only a kid when he bought the farmland, he probably had learned a good deal about how property ownership works by then. And he continued to grow that knowledge to alight on other investment opportunities.
巴菲特主张投资那些你真正了解的行业。尽管他购买了农田时年纪还小，但那时他可能已经对土地所有权有了很多的了解。随着知识的积累，他逐渐找到了其他投资机会。
“Buffett’s principle of investing is a powerful lesson,” said Andrew Boyd,financial advisor at Finty. “He stresses the importance of investing in businesses you understand and can predict their future with reasonable certainty. This means rather than chasing the newest trend, invest in industries and companies you are knowledgeable about.”
“巴菲特的投资原则是一条深刻的启示。”Finty的财务顾问安德鲁·博伊德表示：“他强调投资你理解且能够合理预测未来的企业，这点非常重要。这意味着，与其追逐最新的投资趋势，不如投资那些你熟悉且有把握的行业和公司。”
9. He Didn’t Become Obsessed With His Ego
他没有骄傲自满
Look, none of us (or at least very few of us) personally know Warren Buffett. We can only infer aspects of his personality through what is put out publicly by him and others. But, in an age when bashing billionaires is a favorite social media sport, Buffett seems to be coming out pretty unscathed. And this indicates that from the get-go, he didn’t attach to hubris or ego.
当然，我们（或至少绝大多数人）都不认识沃伦·巴菲特本人。我们只能通过他本人及他人公开的信息来推测他性格的一部分。但在这个亿万富翁被社交媒体猛烈抨击的时代，巴菲特似乎依然保持着良好的形象。这表明，从一开始他就没有被傲慢或自负所左右。
“While Buffett is booming and could be abrasive, he appears patient, humble and grounded,” Paiva said. “When you think of Warren Buffett, you imagine a patient, kind person with wisdom, not a man snapping selfies every five minutes to showboat his wealth.”
“尽管巴菲特取得了巨大成功，本可以显得傲慢，但他展现出的却是耐心、谦逊和脚踏实地的一面。”帕伊瓦表示：“当你想到沃伦·巴菲特时，你会联想到一位耐心、善良且富有智慧的人，而不是一个每五分钟就自拍来炫富的人。”
Key Takeaways关键要点：
1. He Invested Right Away
他立刻开始投资
2. He Was an Entrepreneur From the Start
他从一开始就是企业家
3. He Practiced Patience
他懂得耐心
4. He Showed He Was Reliable at a Young Age
他从小就表现出可靠性
5. He Took His Time
他不急于求成
6. He Didn’t Let Emotions Get in the Way
他没有让情绪左右自己
7. He Embraced ‘Self-Enrichment’
他重视“自我提升”
8. He Invested in What He Understood
他投资自己理解的领域
9. He Didn’t Become Obsessed With His Ego
他没有骄傲自满
