Warren Buffett’s shopping extravaganza kicks off with the Squishmallows pit

OMAHA, Nebraska — Warren Buffett’s annual trade event, the pregame Berkshire HathawayThe annual meeting of , impresses the shareholders who rush to Omaha this weekend.

With more than 20,000 square feet of exhibit space and more than 50,000 items in stock, the downtown Omaha showroom at CHI Health Center features products from various holding companies of Berkshire, Brooks Running at See’s Candies and Jazwares.

Only shareholders can participate in the event and purchase items at a special price.

The annual meeting will be broadcast exclusively on CNBC and streamed live on CNBC.com. Our special coverage begins Saturday at 9:30 a.m. ET.

Jazwares

Jazwares, the American toy maker best known for its Squishmallows line of plush toys, enjoyed success last year when it first showed off its products at the Berkshire Hathaway conference, including the debut of a plush by Warren Buffett. This year, the company expanded its exhibit in the convention hall, making it three times larger.

Some highlights include the latest Squishmallows toys for Buffett and Charlie Munger, a splashing Squishmallows pit, and other exhibits.

Poor Charlie’s Almanac

The Bookworm had only one book for sale this year: “Poor Charlie’s Almanac: The Essential Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger.” It was at Buffett’s request in honor of his business partner of more than 60 years, who died in November at the age of 99.

Flight safety

Berkshire acquired pilot training company FlightSafety in 1996. At Friday’s trade event, the company gave a preview of its training program for professional pilots. Shareholders lined up to put on virtual reality glasses and take flight simulation training.

Pilot Travel Centers

Truck stop giant Pilot Travel Centers set up a large display with a full-size red truck. The company is the largest travel center operator in North America, with more than 750 locations. Berkshire now fully owns Pilot Travel after purchasing the remaining 20% ​​stake from the Haslam family. The deal was not without drama as the Haslams sued Berkshire last year in a lawsuit accusing the conglomerate of using so-called pushdown accounting without the family’s permission.

Duracell

In 2016, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway purchased Duracell from Procter & Gamble, offering the consumer giant $4.7 billion of the shares it held in P&G in exchange for the battery maker.

Brooks running

Brooks Running attracted a long line of shareholders who snapped up the special 2024 edition of its running shoes with “brk” on the side and a cartoon of a Buffett running on the insoles. Many shareholders are also expected to participate in the Brooks “Invest in Yourself” 5K Fun Run and Walk on Sunday, the morning after the annual meeting.

Queen of milk

Warren Buffett bought Dairy Queen in 1998 in a roughly $600 million deal and visited the Omaha locations with his great-grandchildren. According to the Wall Street Journal, the billionaire investor has said in the past that his favorite DQ order is vanilla soft serve ice cream topped with chocolate syrup and malted milk.