Buffett’s ‘at least he’s going to you’ line reveals a subtle power play
A mentor’s words mask a calculated move to keep influence in familiar hands.
The story
Jamie Dimon hired Todd Combs, Warren Buffett's protégé, to lead a $10 billion fund. Dimon claims Buffett said, 'at least he's going to you.'
Source: fortune.com
Our reading
Warren Buffett’s reported line—‘at least he’s going to you’—sounds like a diplomatic way to say, ‘fine, but don’t go to anyone else.’ It’s the kind of phrase that lets a mentor keep their dignity while letting a protege leave on good terms. But what’s really happening is that Buffett is ensuring his legacy stays in the right hands, even if those hands are now in a different bank’s pocket. Combs, who spent over a decade at Berkshire, is now running a $10 billion fund at JPMorgan, which is less like a betrayal and more like a transfer of influence. Buffett’s words are a handshake, not a blessing, and the real move is that he’s not losing his man to a rival—he’s just moving him to a different team with the same playbook.
