Munger was the epitome of wisdom: S Naren of ICICI Prudential AMC

Charlie Munger, who passed away yesterday night, had many fans in the Indian mutual fund industry. The respect these successful fund managers had for the straight talking Munger was enormous. Several fund managers, very successful in their own right, refused to share their thoughts about this great teacher because they felt inadequate to the task. Munger, who was often described as the sparring partner of Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway, was known for his straight forward nature and deep insight into investing. He is also credited with steering Buffett away from Benjamin Graham style of value investing to a more robust investment style. Together these two legends created a company that is valued more than many multinational companies.

ETMutualFunds managed to convince two respected Indian mutual fund managers to share their thoughts on the departed investment guru.

S Naren, ED and CIO of ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund, said the best way to characterise Charlie Munger, an army veteran and trained lawyer, is as the epitome of wisdom. “His multifaceted approach to investment has made a lasting impression on the world of investing. He introduced the concept of quality over quantity investing. His ‘latticework’ investment strategy, which emphasised the artistry involved in investing, will live on,” said Naren.

He said Munger’s wit and intelligence will be dearly missed, but his generous sharing of wisdom over the years will continue to influence the investment fraternity, ultimately benefiting investors worldwide.

Rajeev Thakkar, Chief Investment Officer, PPFAS Mutual Fund, first heard of Warren Buffett in the mid 90s, but did not seriously start reading up on Charlie Munger till 2002. “That is when I got to know more about him and it then became a continuous tracking of his interviews and writings,” said Thakkar.

Rajiv was initially more attracted to the Benjamin Graham kind of investing (pre 2002-3) of all about buying cheap stocks. “In 2002 and 2003 I read up more about Charlie Munger / Philip Arthur Fisher and had more interactions with Chandrakant Sampat which got me interested in paying up somewhat for quality businesses, said Thakkar. Thakkar said his admiration for Munger has only grown over time. “Those things from his talks that were not clear immediately have become clearer over the years.”“The importance of being rational, looking at things the way they are rather than as you want to be is something that Munger has practiced for a long time. This is a very admirable quality. Apart from this the value of patience, continuous learning and learning across disciplines are other things that I have learnt from him,” said Thakkar.

“He has said that over the long run, you get what you deserve. The importance of associating with the right people and attracting the right kind of clients is something that he has emphasised. That has helped me immensely as a fund manager,” added Rajeev Thakkar.