Thoughts on Business, Politics, and Life from a Private Investor
It's 2:30 a.m., I am up eating strawberry jam on toast with a cup of hot spiced tea and reading. Perhaps I stepped out of a British nursery rhyme and am still quite asleep in my bed ... The only thing that would make this better is if it were Christmas, snowing outside, the fireplace were crackling, and I was reviewing the profits from the operating company in my Brooks Brothers bathrobe with red velvet slippers. Maybe I really was a 19th century British financier that got … [Read more...]
On May 9th, I gave an update on the Super Tycoons game I've been playing every day on Facebook in which you have to build an empire and compete against other players. I've even convinced my grandma to start playing it as a steel tycoon. When I wrote about the game back in May, my in-game businesses generated $11 million per day and my game net worth stood at below $100 million. As of a few seconds ago, I've gotten my in-game profits to just under $500 million per day and my game net worth … [Read more...]
Creed Spring Flower was created in 1951 as a signature scent for the adorable Audrey Hepburn, star of films such as Sabrina, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and My Fair Lady. Hepburn reportedly wanted the famous House of Creed, which has served as the official perfumer to royalty dating back to 1760, to create a unique scent that was entirely her own and that looked cheerful and playful on her vanity. With its bright pink bottle and gold cap, it is easy to identify this one-of-a-kind fragrance. As … [Read more...]
I've written in the past about how nearly every American alive today has been confronted with perhaps a dozen different companies that they knew first hand because they enjoyed using the firm's products for years (in some cases, their whole life) that turned out to be spectacular investments. Yet, they never thought to research the business and consider becoming an owner. One of the things I think about a few times a year is my paternal grandfather's Pepsi habit. My dad's side of the … [Read more...]
This is another one of the unique breakfasts we had last week. It's a cinnamon apple french toast that was baked in the oven with wheat bread base and apple butter glaze, fresh slices of apple, and cinnamon. The side dish consisted of "fried" sweet potatoes, which were really prepared in a pan over open flame and served to replicate sweet hash browns without the use of sugar or artificial sweeteners. … [Read more...]
We added Breakfast of Tycoons to the official Carl Barks collection at Mount Olympus Awards. We've been selectively acquiring more and more of his stuff when the price is attractive and it just fits with all of the framed stock certificates and financial artwork. I've identified a few other pieces we are interesting in actively acquiring but only on our terms. Most of the time, we have them reworked in far nicer frames, matting, etc. I'll try and update a future post with what they look … [Read more...]
Tonight, we decided to try the recipe immediately following the Julia Child Beef Bourguignon recipe in Mastering the Art of French Cooking (I wrote about our experience with that recipe a few months ago). The entree is called Carbonnades a la Flamande, which translates into Beef and Onions Braised in Beer. This followed the Chicken Simmered in Cream from yesterday, which has become our favorite Julia Child recipe (I haven't yet discussed it here but plan to add it sometime in the future). … [Read more...]
During Ashly and Ian's visit from Ohio this weekend, and as part of our weekend of gourmet dining, they made us eggs benedict with a hollandaise sauce on Saturday morning. The nutritional sacrifice was worth it (health food, this is most certainly not but 1,000 calories was a small price to pay). The eggs benedict recipe consisted of two English muffins covered with poached eggs, Canadian bacon, and hollandaise sauce. Frankly, I don't know the details of how they prepared it because I was … [Read more...]
I happened to be sitting at the dining room table, a cup of coffee in one hand, writing out plans for potentially launching a mutual fund this year (this time around, it's a Parker Duofold rollerball in an amber check pattern from the recent shipment of fine writing instruments we received at Kennon Home Accessories and its retail store, Kennon & Company). As I was mulling over some ideas in my head, I was reading the blogs, which is my customary morning routine that began back in the … [Read more...]
Asset allocation is one of the most important concepts you must learn as an investor. By practicing it, you can balance your portfolio against adverse market conditions, keeping more capital in your account so you can take advantage of the market crashes that will happen as an inevitable result of human nature. That is why I wanted to take a few minutes to teach you about asset allocation, what it is, how you can use it, and some of the various asset classes you may consider for your … [Read more...]
Though the home renovations have gotten the most headlines due to their nature (constant onslaught of choices and tasks that need to be completed), one of the most important items on the agenda of the six-month project has been to drastically reduce my digital footprint. By the end of the program, I will have one personal presence [...]
This makes me sick. This high school is ranked in top 5% of high schools in the United States. The worst part of the video for me was the part where the kid says, “I was never taught that knowledge”. It’s not somebody else’s job to teach you, it is your job to seek out [...]
This is a great way to start the day … one of the reasons I love writing this blog. Joshua, [In American Households Continue to Deleverage But That Only Tells Part of the Story, you wrote] “The numbers are just figures on a sheet trying to explain human behavior. Study the behavior, what is driving [...]
We’ve been looking for a corn chowder recipe to add to the “permanent” on-demand recipe collection but most are geared toward summer when fresh corn on the cob is abundant in the Midwest. This allows you to use the rich pulp, corn juices, and kernels to create a delicious, thick chowder that can be eaten [...]
The best message I received all day in the usual flood of reader submissions … Hello Mr. Kennon, I am 24 yr old who has saved/invested incessantly since I was 18, and my portfolio just recently breached 6 digits! I have always had a similar mindset to you when it comes to the future value [...]
I'm a private investor, author, and business philosopher who started with nothing and was essentially retired by my early twenties thanks to my first Internet startup. I went to school on a music scholarship and spend my days doing what I want and growing Kennon Green Enterprises, LLC, the family holding company. Continue reading ...
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