In the previous article, we learned that Warren Buffett continued striving to become a lecturer and an investment professional despite setbacks. This time we will learn from Buffett's investment journey through his assets.

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According to the latest data from Forbes’ 37th annual billionaire ranking, Buffett's net worth is currently at an astonishing $106 billion, surpassing the founder of Meta (Facebook), Mark Zuckerberg, and even Bill Gates. He is fifth among the billionaires in the world. 

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But did you know? Buffett started with an initial investment of only $100. Yes, you read that right; his starting point was $100.

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Despite graduating from Columbia Business School with excellent grades, he struggled to find a job on Wall Street. He then started working at a tiny investment firm with at least ten employees, Graham-Newman Corporation, which happened to be his mentor's company.

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Buffett may come across as impulsive rather than intelligent when viewed from the outside. He could have sought out a bigger investment company. He was nonetheless determined to start on the path of an investor, using his knowledge as a launching pad. He started from scratch and gradually built his empire of wealth.

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But Wall Street lacked life in 1954 because the stock market had not fully recovered from the effects of the Great Depression. Because of this, even among Harvard Business School graduates, less than 3% found employment on Wall Street.

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While working at Graham-Newman Corporation, Buffett enjoyed reading "The Financial Adviser," published by Standard & Poor's. This led him to constantly find company names with potential and charisma. 

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Buffett was the only one among his colleagues who could quickly grasp the key figures, identify issues, and outperform his mentor, Graham, regardless of the financial statements of various industries and companies.

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However, Buffett encountered a significant problem during that time. No matter how he explored new potential companies or created new investment strategies, Graham-Newman Corporation had only $6 million in available assets. Moreover, most funds were already allocated to existing clients, leaving little room for Buffett to develop new investment opportunities. 

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Although many investors were willing to invest more, Graham showed little interest in recruiting new investors or funds. This was primarily due to the fact that even Graham himself had not been able to completely erase memories of the Great Depression.

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Despite recognizing value investing, he remained highly conservative and skeptical of the stock market, gradually showing signs of a substantial rise. As a result, Buffett's ideas remained on paper and couldn't be realized.

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After working at Graham-Newman Corporation for a few years, Graham made the firm's decision to retire in 1956 and subsequently dissolved the company. Graham loved research and teaching but wasn't overly enthusiastic about amassing wealth.

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He decided to embrace the second half of his life by choosing to teach at the University of California, Los Angeles, and to enjoy writing. From its inception to dissolution over a period of 21 years, Graham-Newman Corporation experienced an astonishing average annual return rate of 17%, outpacing every stock index at the time.

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During those years, Buffett, who was at the time unemployed, outperformed Graham-Newman in terms of average annual return rate. His initial $10,000 profit from delivering newspapers increased to $140,000 over many years of investment. This would be worth $930,000 in today's dollars after accounting for inflation.

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Buffett, therefore, returned to his beloved Omaha with his wife after giving the matter serious thought, ready to make a move.

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In the following article, we will continue to learn about his journey of building an $100 billion empire and his investments. So, stay tuned for another exciting read!

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