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Thousands of fans line up outside for hours, there’s expensive merchandise and even a secret movie.

When 40,000 people descend on Omaha, Nebraska, Saturday, it might sound like a Taylor Swift concert or a Coachella-style festival.

Instead they will sit rapturously for five hours listening to a 93-year-old man answering questions on the economy  but not just any man: billionaire investor Warren Buffett.

Welcome to the Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholders meeting, dubbed “Woodstock for capitalism” and compared by attendees to going to church or seeing The Beatles live.

Inside the CHI Health Center Omaha, ordinary shareholders mingle with celebrities such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bill Murray and Glenn Close and the biggest names in business, including Bill Gates, JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon, and Apple’s Tim Cook.

The annual pilgrimage to Omaha is the most fanatical followers of Buffett, the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, America’s 7th largest company, which owns companies including Geico, Dairy Queen, BNSF Railway and NetJets, and large stakes in Apple, American Express, Coca-Cola, Kraft Heinz and Chevron.

The cost of admission is as low as $396, a single Berkshire Hathaway class B share, but the wisdom dispensed by the man with a net worth of $132 billion is, say attendees, priceless.

Christopher Bloomstran has attended every year since 2000 except once, when his daughter was born two weeks before the meeting and calls it the highlight of each year.

“Ive met some of my best friends in the investment arena at the Berkshire,” said Bloomstran, who is chief investment officer of Semper Augustus Investments Group  in St. Louis, Missouri.

I go Wednesday and often stay until Monday.”

Adam Mead, who runs Mead Capital Management and has been going for 10 years said: I dont go to church but it’s like church: You know what the message will be, it’s the same stories, and you hear current events through the lens of timeless wisdom.

Bill Gates is out there as is Jamie Dimon he shook my hand and took a pic. One time Warren shook my hand. That was a memorable moment.”

The weekend begins Friday when Omahas Conference Center opens for conference-goers to pick up credentials for the festivities which include the meeting, a picnic and a 5K. (Buffett does not take part.)

But the event’s core is Saturday when Buffett and other Berkshire leaders address the crowd, many of whom arrive at 3am.

Chris Fried, an attorney from Pennsylvania, who will be attending for the 10th time always stays in walking distance of the conference center so he is in line by 3AM and prepared for the mad dash for the best seats once the doors open and shareholders flood in.

“By 4am – I would say the line is about 100 feet deep,” he said. By 7 am – it is down several blocks.

Fried said he stumbled on Berkshire when he first read Warren’s annual letter to shareholders 20 years ago.

“It read like beautiful poetry to me and I purchased my first B shares within the week. I haven’t looked back.

In the line he has met Buffett fans from as far afield as Australia, as well as Japan, China, Germany and the UK, many of whom have become friends.

“You never know who you’ll bump into,” Friend adds. “One year I sat next to two NFL players.”

Mead said: Ive made some of my really good friends out there just standing in line. Im staying in an Airbnb with some of them this year.

By 8:45AM attendees are ready for Buffetts annual film which opens the event and which is never seen outside the hall.

Only two still images have ever leaked. One, in 2015, was a pastiche of “Breaking Bad,” with Buffett appearing with Bryan Cranston, its star, to cook, not meth, but See’s Candy, one of the brands which has made Buffett rich. Another, in 2002, was Buffett playing the ukelele.

He has done skits with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bryan Cranston, Manny Pacquiao, and Jamie Lee Curtis,” Mac Sykes, portfolio manager of the Gabelli Equity Trust, who has been attending for 15 years said. “They’re worth arriving early for.”

This year will be different in part because Charlie Munger, Berkshire’s vice chair and Buffett’s on-stage sidekick until he died at 99 last November, won’t be there for the first time.

Elie-Chakib Abou-Chacra, a portfolio manager from Canada who is attending for the second time, said the annual meeting is the equivalent of being a Beatles fan seeing McCartney perform onstage. 

I get to see my hero on stage if youre a fan of McCartney or an old rock guy you never know when it will be his last tour but you know you want to see them onstage before they go.

Off stage, the conference center features specialized merch from companies owned by Berkshire, including Squishmallow who sell a Warren Buffett version of their plush toy Brooks Sports, Fruit of the Loom, and Dairy Queen.

Buffett tours by golf cart, with people taking selfies as he passes. They also take photos with cutouts of him dotted around the floor.

Last year See’s Candies sold Buffett’s fans 11 tons of confectionery which included “Warren’s Favorite Chocolate Walnut Fudge.”

Stephen Tedder, an ophthalmologist from Atlanta, told The Post that he fell in love with Buffett’s wisdom after he stumbled on a Berkshire report during the 2008 financial crisis.

“You could see the authentic Midwest moral fiber of Warren and Charlie [Munger], their clarity of thought, written word and plain speak,” he told The Post.

This will be his third meeting, having started coming in 2022, because he made a growing number of good friends.

Women make up just 20% of attendees, sources told The Post.

April Samuelson, a tech worker from Chicago, has attended twice and each time had to explain why she was there solo.

The weird thing about attending as a woman is other investors tended to assume that I was a wife or girlfriend,” Samuelson said.

“I had to clarify that I had stock of my own. When asked why, I just went with I like money.’

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Sports

Five-star QB Jared Curtis to Georgia: How he fits and what’s next

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May 5, 2025

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Five-star QB Jared Curtis to Georgia: How he fits and what's next

  • Eli Lederman

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    Eli Lederman

    ESPN Staff Writer

      Eli Lederman covers college football and recruiting for ESPN.com. He joined ESPN in 2024 after covering the University of Oklahoma for Sellout Crowd and the Tulsa World.

  • Tom Luginbill

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    Tom Luginbill

    ESPN Analyst

    • Senior National Recruiting Analyst for ESPN.com
    • Coached in four professional football leagues
    • Graduated from Eastern Kentucky and Marshall

May 5, 2025, 06:11 PM ET

Five-star quarterback Jared Curtis, the No. 5 prospect in the 2026 ESPN 300, announced his commitment to the Georgia Bulldogs over the Oregon Ducks Monday, capping the most consequential recruitment to date in the 2026 cycle.

Curtis, who decommitted from Georgia this past October, is the No. 1 overall quarterback in the 2026 class. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound passer from Nashville took trips to both Georgia and Oregon earlier this spring. Sources told ESPN that Curtis held in-home visits with offensive coordinators Mike Bobo (Georgia) and Will Stein (Oregon) last week and had conversations with both programs on Sunday afternoon prior to making his decision.

Curtis’ return to the Bulldogs’ 2026 class marks a crucial recruiting victory for coach Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs’ staff. Curtis now lands as the highest-ranked of four ESPN 300 pledges in the program’s incoming class, a collection of talent that will surely grow this summer as Georgia contends for a 10th consecutive top-three signing class. If he signs later this year, Curtis will arrive as the program’s third highest-ranked quarterback pledge in the ESPN recruiting era, trailing only Justin Fields (No. 1 overall in 2018) and Matt Stafford (No. 5 in 2006).

With his pledge, Curtis cements his place as the potential quarterback of the future in Athens behind expected starter Gunner Stockton, redshirt freshman Ryan Puglisi and 2025 signees Ryan Montgomery and Hezekiah Millender. Oregon, meanwhile, returns to the quarterback market in search of a 2026 passer after missing out on a coveted target in Curtis.

Here’s what you need to know about the most consequential commitment in 2026 cycle this spring as the busy recruiting season of late-May and June enters the horizon:

What makes Curtis so good?

Curtis has supreme arm talent, ideal measurables and a competitive temperament. He has ideal measurables and good speed given his size and is a better athlete than he gets credit for. What we like best is his natural arm power, velocity, and ability to change arm angles. He’s a flexible thrower who can make off-platform throws look easy because he can find alternative ways to get the ball out without losing power or strength. He’s a crafty runner who can extend plays and get out of trouble.

If there is a concern, it would be the level of competition he faces at Nashville Christian, a 2A private school. He has yet to be truly challenged against elite competition throughout his high school career to this point. He is always the best player on the field. That being said, he has a winning mentality, likes to compete, and has abilities that can’t be coached. — Tom Luginbill

Who does he compare to?

When looking at current college players, Curtis, while much bigger, compares most to LSU Tigers QB Garrett Nussmeier. Their skillsets are eerily similar. They are both gunslingers, have live arms and things don’t have to be perfect for them to still make a play. Both players play the game with supreme confidence and make players around them better.

In Athens, Curtis can play like Stetson Bennett did in his last two seasons in college. Like Bennett, Curtis can use his legs, acumen, resourcefulness, and accuracy to lead this team. Unlike Bennett, Curtis is bigger and has a stronger arm. — Luginbill

What does the team’s QB roster look like now?

Curtis joins a QB room with highly rated prospects with limited experience on the field. Gunner Stockton was the fifth-rated dual-threat QB in the 2022 class and filled in admirably late last year for an injured Carson Beck.

In all likelihood, Stockton will be the starter in Athens over the next two seasons. However, Ryan Puglisi is uber-talented and will also push for the starting job in 2025 and UGA signed two QBs in the 2025 class. The reality is that this decision, if Curtis signs in December, will likely lead to at least one or more players entering the transfer portal. — Luginbill

What’s next for Oregon and Georgia’s recruiting classes?

Round 2 between the Bulldogs and Ducks comes May 13 when five-star offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell announces his commitment. No. 3 in the 2026 ESPN 300, Cantwell will visit both programs in the closing stages of his recruitment, and he certainly won’t be the last elite prospect the two powerhouses battle over, either.

Curtis’ commitment gives Smart and Co. a cornerstone pledge in the 2026 cycle. With the No. 1 overall passer in hand, Georgia will work to build around him. Top running back prospect Derrek Cooper (No. 7 in the 2026 ESPN) and four-star rusher Savion Hiter (No. 27) are a pair of priority targets at another position of need, as is in-state rusher Jae Lamar (No. 129). Five-star end Kaiden Prothro (No. 19 overall) could be the next piece in Georgia’s stellar tight end pipeline, and five-star offensive tackle Immanuel Iheanacho (No. 12) will be on campus for an official visit later this month.

On defense, the Bulldogs remain firmly in the mix for top linebacker Tyler Atkinson (No. 13) and No. 1 athlete Brandon Arrington (No. 14), as well as top-50 defensive backs Jireh Edwards (No. 30), Justice Fitzpatrick (No. 42) and Chauncey Kennon (No. 49).

Oregon whiffed on Curtis, but with multiple years of eligibility for third-year passers Dante Moore and Austin Novosad — paired with the arrival of four-star freshman Akili Smith Jr. — the Ducks don’t have to sign a quarterback in the 2026 class.

Oregon has been in contact with five-star Houston quarterback pledge Keisean Henderson (No. 16 overall) this spring. But the Ducks’ top non-Curtis quarterback target is four-star passer Ryder Lyons (No. 50), who intends to take a mission trip following his senior year and would not join Oregon until 2027. Given the program’s lack of an immediate need at the position, Lyons — the nation’s No. 5 quarterback prospect — could be an especially good fit in 2026.

Other top targets for the Ducks this cycle include: Iheanacho, Atkinson, Arrington, defensive end Richard Wesley (No. 18), safety Jett Washington (No. 22) and tight end Mark Bowman (No. 24). — Eli Lederman

How does this affect the QB dominoes?

As noted, Oregon doesn’t have to sign a QB in this cycle, but with Curtis off the board, the Ducks should still be a major player across the seven months between now and the early signing period.

That could hold significant ramifications for Houston if the Ducks up their efforts to flip Henderson. It could also impact USC and BYU if Oregon turns its full attention to Lyons this summer. The Ducks could look toward other quarterbacks across the country, too.

Alongside Oregon, Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, LSU, North Carolina, Ohio State, Ole Miss and South Carolina stand among the top programs still active in the quarterback market this spring.

However, as of May 5, only four of the 18 quarterbacks ranked inside the 2026 ESPN 300 remain uncommitted. With Curtis now committed, expect the recruitments of those remaining quarterbacks to pick up steam in the coming months.

Lyons is set for June officials with BYU, USC and Oregon. Ole Miss remains the front-runner for Duckworth, who also holds heavy interest from Auburn, Florida State and South Carolina. Bowe Bentley (No. 264) will get to Georgia, LSU and Oklahoma later this spring, while former Purdue pledge Oscar Rios (No. 193) will take official trips to Virginia Tech, Utah, Arizona and Colorado after an April visit to Oklahoma State. — Lederman

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Technology

Here are the SpaceX employees who were elected to run Musk’s new company town of Starbase, Texas

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2 hours ago

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May 5, 2025

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Here are the SpaceX employees who were elected to run Musk's new company town of Starbase, Texas

The SpaceX Starship sits on a launch pad at Starbase near Boca Chica, Texas, on October 12, 2024, ahead of the Starship Flight 5 test. The test will involve the return of Starship’s Super Heavy Booster to the launch site.

Sergio Flores | Afp | Getty Images

Over the weekend, Elon Musk got his new company town along the Texas Gulf Coast. Controlling the city are three SpaceX employees, who all ran unopposed.

As NBC News reported, the election determining incorporation of the city of Starbase concluded on Saturday night, with 212 votes in favor and only six against. Just 143 votes were needed for the measure to pass.

Starbase was victorious in becoming a type C city, which in Texas applies to a previously unincorporated city, town or village of between 201 and 4,999 inhabitants. The city includes the SpaceX launch facility and company-owned land covering a 1.6 square-mile area.

The mayor is 36-year-old Bobby Peden, who has spent more than 12 years working for SpaceX and is currently vice president for Texas test and launch operations. Prior to joining the rocket maker in 2013, Peden was a graduate research assistant at the University of Texas at Austin, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Starbase has two commissioners, both from the SpaceX employee ranks.

One is Jenna Petrzelka, 39, who was an operations engineering manager at SpaceX until July, and now identifies as a philanthropist, according to her application to be on the ballot. She’s married to Joe Petrzelka, a vice president of Starship engineering and almost 14-year veteran at SpaceX.

The other commissioner is Jordan Buss, 40, a senior director of environmental health and safety for SpaceX who joined the company in 2023.

Musk, who has assumed a central role in President Donald Trump’s administration responsible for slashing the size of the federal government, began acquiring land for SpaceX in Boca Chica, Texas, about a decade ago. The first integrated Starship vehicle launched from the site, known as Starbase, in April 2023, and exploded in mid-flight.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service soon disclosed details about the aftermath of the explosion, including that a “3.5-acre fire started south of the pad site on Boca Chica State Park land,” following the test flight.

State and federal regulators have fined SpaceX for violations of the Clean Water Act, and said the company had repeatedly polluted waters in the Boca Chica area. Environmental advocates and indigenous groups have also sued both the Federal Aviation Administration and SpaceX over the company’s flight tests and launch activity in the area.

Those groups said in legal filings that SpaceX caused harm to local habitat and endangered species due to vehicle traffic, noise, heat, explosions and fragmentation caused by the company’s construction, rocket testing and launch practices.

A SpaceX spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

In a post on X on Saturday, the account for StarbaseTX wrote, “Becoming a city will help us continue building the best community possible for the men and women building the future of humanity’s place in space.”

WATCH: SpaceX launches third test flight of massive Starship rocket

SpaceX launches third test flight of massive Starship rocket

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Environment

Trump blocked wind projects, and now 17 states and DC are suing

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2 hours ago

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May 5, 2025

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Trump blocked wind projects, and now 17 states and DC are suing

Equinor Empire Wind
Photo: Equinor

Seventeen state attorneys general and DC are fighting a Trump executive order that froze permits and funding for all onshore and offshore wind projects on January 20.

The coalition is asking a federal judge to declare the executive order illegal and prevent the Trump administration from obstructing wind energy development. It was filed in federal court in Massachusetts.

New York attorney general Letitia James is leading the coalition. James said, “This arbitrary and unnecessary directive threatens the loss of thousands of good-paying jobs and billions in investments, and it is delaying our transition away from the fossil fuels that harm our health and our planet.”

Federal agencies have stopped issuing permits for wind projects across the board and even pulled the plug on the fully approved Empire Wind in New York, which was already under construction. Developer Equinor, majority owned by the Norwegian government, went through a seven-year permitting process and is considering separate legal actions.

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Massachusetts attorney general Andrea Joy Campbell said that Trump’s “attempts to stop homegrown wind energy development directly contradict his claims that there is a growing need for reliable domestic energy.”

The coalition argues that the action violates the Administrative Procedure Act and other federal laws because the Trump administration, “among other things, provides no reasoned explanation for categorically and indefinitely halting all wind energy development.”

Trump’s executive order puts billions of dollars in state investments at risk, jeopardizing everything from wind industry infrastructure to supply chains and workforce training that’s already well underway.

The coalition consists of attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington. 

Read more: Trump admin halts $5 billion NY offshore wind project mid-build

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