What Was the Real Motive Behind Warren Buffett's Goldman Deal?

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It could be that Buffett's real motive wasn't to hold a huge stake in Goldman, but to save money. Berkshire would have had to spend about $5 billion to exercise the warrants and sell the shares to get a profit.

Under the new deal, Berkshire is "risking less money," [said David Kass]. "I don't know if that's an indication of having less confidence, but he's making a decision to put less capital at risk," Kass said.