, Columnist
Charlie Munger and the Fading Art of the Second Banana
Neither rival nor yes man, the right No. 2 can help a CEO hone success through discussion and debate.
Charlie Munger kept Warren Buffett grounded.
Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg
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Charlie Munger, the longtime vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., who died on Tuesday at the age of 99, will be exalted for many things in the coming days — his business acumen, his aphorisms on both investing and life, his constant presence as Warren Buffett’s sidekick and right-hand man as they built Berkshire into a hugely successful and powerful conglomerate.
But that last one is not quite right. He was more than a No. 2; he was the ultimate second banana. These are far from the same thing.