Gloomy tales http://ferso.org/pub-fruity-slots/ pub fruity slot machine  Buffett eschews public speaking and works in Omaha far from the frenzy of Wall Street - but produces enviable results. Berkshire Hathaway's compounded annual gain from 1965-2012 was 19.7 percent, thumping the S&P 500 and making for a total gain over that period of 586,817 percent, according to the firm's most recent shareholder letter.