This is a rare public dialogue between Duan Yongping and a company more than 20 years after his "retirement." In the first episode of the third season of "Strategy," a professional investment program produced by Xueqiu (Snowball), Xueqiu founder Fang Sanwen traveled halfway around the world to California to meet face-to-face with this legendary investor. This conversation, lasting several hours, covered everything from his life experiences to corporate culture, from investment logic to his views on children's education—almost a complete retrospective of his investment life. In this interview, Duan Yongping mentioned "making mistakes" 10 times, "understanding" 12 times, and "difficult" 29 times. Behind these words lies his consistent way of thinking: "Buying stocks is buying a company," but as he said in the interview, "less than 1% of people truly understand this statement." The interview took place on October 16, 2025. The following is the complete, unedited transcript of the conversation.
Key Quotes
About Core Investment Concepts
“Buying stocks is buying companies.”
“Investing is simple, but not easy.”
“You must look at the company, you must understand the business, and you must understand future cash flow.”
“Most companies are not easy to understand.”
“Buffett’s margin of safety does not refer to cheapness, but to how much you understand the company.”
“Cheap things can become cheaper.”
About Understanding and Not Understanding
Fang Sanwen: Buffett said not to invest in four-wheeled businesses. Do you think electric cars or the current trend of autonomous driving will change the fundamental nature of four-wheeled businesses?
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