Value Investing Academy

😱 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐒𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐬 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝! 😱 Below is a detailed explanation of his methods and their consequences: 𝟏. 𝐒𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 (𝐔𝐊, 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟐) 💰 𝓦𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓗𝓪𝓹𝓹𝓮𝓷𝓮𝓭? • In 1992, Soros famously “broke the Bank of England” by short-selling the British pound. • The UK was part of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM), which required it to keep the pound’s value within a fixed range against the Deutsche Mark. • Soros believed the pound was overvalued and that the UK could not sustain the high interest rates needed to maintain the fixed exchange rate. • He borrowed billions of pounds and sold them on the market (short-selling), betting that the pound’s value would drop. 💰𝓞𝓾𝓽𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓮: • The Bank of England spent billions trying to prop up the pound but failed. • On September 16, 1992 (“Black Wednesday”), the UK was forced to withdraw from the ERM, and the pound’s value plummeted. • Soros reportedly made $1 billion in profit. 💰 𝓘𝓶𝓹𝓪𝓬𝓽 𝓸𝓷 𝓑𝓪𝓷𝓴𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓢𝔂𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓶𝓼: • The UK’s banking system faced liquidity crises, and the government incurred heavy losses. However, it also led to long-term economic reforms in the UK. 2. 𝓐𝓼𝓲𝓪𝓷 𝓕𝓲𝓷𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓲𝓪𝓵 𝓒𝓻𝓲𝓼𝓲𝓼 (1997) 💰 𝓦𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓗𝓪𝓹𝓹𝓮𝓷𝓮𝓭? • Soros and other speculators were accused of destabilizing Asian currencies during the 1997 financial crisis. • Countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and South Korea faced massive capital outflows as speculators shorted their currencies, causing sharp devaluations. 💰 𝓞𝓾𝓽𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓮: • The Thai government spent billions trying to defend the baht but eventually had to float it, leading to a severe devaluation. • This triggered a domino effect in other Asian economies, causing financial panic and deep recessions. 💰 𝓘𝓶𝓹𝓪𝓬𝓽 𝓸𝓷 𝓑𝓪𝓷𝓴𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓢𝔂𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓶𝓼: • Many banks in the affected countries went bankrupt due to currency mismatches and non-performing loans. • The International Monetary Fund (IMF) had to step in with bailout packages. 3. 𝓢𝓸𝓻𝓸𝓼’𝓼 𝓢𝓽𝓻𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓰𝔂 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓘𝓶𝓹𝓪𝓬𝓽 💰𝓚𝓮𝔂 𝓢𝓽𝓻𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓰𝓲𝓮𝓼: • Short-Selling: Borrowing and selling currencies he believed were overvalued, aiming to profit when their value dropped. • Leverage: Using borrowed money to maximize returns, which magnified the impact of his trades. 💰 𝓒𝓻𝓲𝓽𝓲𝓬𝓲𝓼𝓶: • Soros has been accused of exploiting economic vulnerabilities for profit without regard for the consequences on ordinary people and banking systems. 💰 𝓒𝓸𝓷𝓬𝓵𝓾𝓼𝓲𝓸𝓷: Soros’s actions were legal and driven by market dynamics, but their ripple effects exposed and exacerbated financial vulnerabilities, contributing to banking crises in several countries. 𝓐𝓽 𝓥𝓲𝓐, 𝓦𝓮 𝓒𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓜𝓪𝓴𝓮 𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓪 𝓑𝓮𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓘𝓷𝓿𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓻. #GrowviaViA #ViAHuatMePls #ValueInvestingAcademy #valueinvesting

💰 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝘆 & 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗪𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗛𝗶𝗺 💰 Masayoshi Son, the founder and CEO of SoftBank Group, became rich through a combination of visionary investments, entrepreneurial ventures, and bold risk-taking. 1) 𝓟𝓮𝓻𝓼𝓸𝓷𝓪𝓵 𝓔𝓷𝓽𝓻𝓮𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓷𝓮𝓾𝓻𝓲𝓪𝓵 𝓥𝓮𝓷𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓮𝓼 • Before founding SoftBank, Son invented and sold a translation device to Sharp Corporation while studying at the University of California, Berkeley, earning his first $1 million. • He also founded and sold a video game business in Japan, adding to his early wealth. 2) 𝓕𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓭𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓢𝓸𝓯𝓽𝓑𝓪𝓷𝓴 • In 1981, Son founded SoftBank as a distributor of PC software in Japan. The company later expanded into telecom, media, and technology investments. 3) 𝓢𝓽𝓻𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓰𝓲𝓬 𝓘𝓷𝓿𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓶𝓮𝓷𝓽𝓼 • Yahoo Japan: In the mid-1990s, Son partnered with Yahoo! to create Yahoo Japan, which became one of Japan’s most successful internet companies. • Alibaba Investment: In 2000, SoftBank invested $20 million in Alibaba, a relatively unknown Chinese e-commerce company at the time. This investment grew to be worth over $100 billion, one of the most profitable investments in history. 4) 𝓣𝓮𝓵𝓮𝓬𝓸𝓶 𝓢𝓾𝓬𝓬𝓮𝓼𝓼 • Japan Telecom Acquisition: In 2004, SoftBank acquired Japan Telecom and later expanded into mobile telecom with the purchase of Vodafone Japan in 2006. • SoftBank Mobile: The mobile division grew rapidly, becoming a dominant player in Japan’s telecom market. Like any other investors, he also makes mistakes! Masayoshi Son’s rise to wealth and influence is marked by both extraordinary successes and high-profile failures. His bold, risk-taking philosophy has led to major wins like Alibaba but also significant missteps, such as WeWork. Here’s a balanced look at both sides: 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 1) 𝓦𝓮𝓦𝓸𝓻𝓴’𝓼 𝓒𝓸𝓵𝓵𝓪𝓹𝓼𝓮 • Background: Son invested heavily in WeWork, pouring over $18 billion into the co-working space startup led by Adam Neumann. • Misjudgment: He overestimated the scalability and profitability of WeWork’s business model. • In 2019, WeWork’s IPO failed, revealing major financial and operational issues. • SoftBank had to bail out WeWork, incurring billions in losses. 2) 𝓥𝓲𝓼𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓕𝓾𝓷𝓭’𝓼 𝓜𝓲𝔁𝓮𝓭 𝓡𝓮𝓼𝓾𝓵𝓽𝓼 • Aggressive Investments: • The Vision Fund, launched in 2017 with $100 billion, made large bets on tech companies like Uber, DoorDash, and Slack. • Companies like Oyo Rooms, Greensill, and Katerra either underperformed or collapsed, costing SoftBank billions. • The fund posted record losses in 2022, wiping out significant gains from earlier successes. Despite these setbacks, Son remains one of the world’s most influential investors. 𝓐𝓽 𝓥𝓪𝓵𝓾𝓮 𝓘𝓷𝓿𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓐𝓬𝓪𝓭𝓮𝓶𝔂, 𝓦𝓮 𝓒𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓜𝓪𝓴𝓮 𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓪 𝓑𝓮𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓘𝓷𝓿𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓻. #GrowviaViA #ViAHuatMePls #ValueInvesting #ValueInvestingAcademy

🍀 Planning for Yr 2025! 🍀 As we kick-start the new year, we took time to reflect on our accomplishments and map out our vision for the next quarter. Our first activity, pottery painting, sparked creativity and inspiration. We celebrated our successes with a buffet at Swensen’s Unlimited at VivoCity, acknowledging that our achievements in 2024 were made possible by our dedicated ViA Coaches and loyal customers who trust in us. We will push our boundaries this year because ….. At ViA, We Care to Make You a Better Investor. #GrowviaViA #ViAHuatMePls #ValueInvestingAcademy #valueinvesting #stocks

🤪𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐞 𝐌𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐜𝐨?🤪 Charlie Munger, the late vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, was famously passionate about Costco, the wholesale retail giant. His obsession with Costco stemmed from his deep admiration for its business model, customer-centric philosophy, and long-term growth potential. 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗢𝗯𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻: 1) 𝓒𝓾𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓻 𝓥𝓪𝓵𝓾𝓮 • Munger praised Costco for consistently offering exceptional value to its members. He admired the company’s ability to sell high-quality goods at low prices, ensuring customer loyalty. 2) 𝓔𝓯𝓯𝓲𝓬𝓲𝓮𝓷𝓽 𝓞𝓹𝓮𝓻𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓼 • He often highlighted Costco’s operational efficiency, low overhead costs, and streamlined inventory management as exemplary. He saw these as key factors that gave Costco a competitive edge. 3) 𝓔𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓬𝓪𝓵 𝓑𝓾𝓼𝓲𝓷𝓮𝓼𝓼 𝓟𝓻𝓪𝓬𝓽𝓲𝓬𝓮𝓼 • Munger admired Costco’s commitment to fair treatment of employees and suppliers. He believed that this ethical approach was both morally right and economically advantageous in the long term. 4) 𝓢𝓽𝓻𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓛𝓮𝓪𝓭𝓮𝓻𝓼𝓱𝓲𝓹 • Munger held Costco’s leadership, particularly co-founder Jim Sinegal, in high regard. He respected their disciplined and forward-thinking management style. 5) 𝓟𝓮𝓻𝓼𝓸𝓷𝓪𝓵 𝓘𝓷𝓿𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓶𝓮𝓷𝓽 • Munger himself was a significant shareholder in Costco through his investment firm, Daily Journal Corporation. He viewed Costco as a model of sustainable business success and often used it as a benchmark in his teachings on business and investing. Munger’s affection for Costco was so strong that he frequently joked about how much he enjoyed shopping there himself, despite his immense wealth. For him, Costco embodied the principles of value investing, operational excellence, and ethical capitalism that he championed throughout his career. 𝓐𝓽 𝓥𝓪𝓵𝓾𝓮 𝓘𝓷𝓿𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓐𝓬𝓪𝓭𝓮𝓶𝔂, 𝓦𝓮 𝓒𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓜𝓪𝓴𝓮 𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓪 𝓑𝓮𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓘𝓷𝓿𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓻. #GrowviaViA #ViAHuatMePls #ValueInvestingAcademy #ValueInvesting #Stocks

This evening marked the last session for our Full-House PNWA 29! Special thanks to the Class, our ViA Coaches & our in-house staff! At ViA, We Care to Make You a Better Investor. #GrowviaViA #ViAHuatMePls #ValueInvestingAcademy #valueinvesting #stocks

😱 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐖𝐞 𝐅𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬? 😱 The conventional education we have has taught us to exchange our time and expertise for money. As such, my generation believes that the only way to make money is to have lots of paper qualifications, and work for an organisation for the rest of our lives. It’s like putting a lid over the container where we are fleas. The flea experiment can be directly related to money and financial beliefs, particularly how limiting beliefs about money can restrict a person’s ability to achieve financial success or abundance. Here’s the connection: 𝓕𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓜𝓸𝓷𝓮𝔂 𝓜𝓲𝓷𝓭𝓼𝓮𝓽: 1) 𝓒𝓸𝓷𝓭𝓲𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓔𝓪𝓻𝓵𝔂 𝓔𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓷𝓬𝓮𝓼: • Like fleas hitting the lid, many people grow up in environments where money is associated with scarcity, struggle, or negative emotions. • Phrases like “Money doesn’t grow on trees” or “We can’t afford that” create mental “lids” that limit financial aspirations. 2) 𝓢𝓮𝓵𝓯-𝓘𝓶𝓹𝓸𝓼𝓮𝓭 𝓕𝓲𝓷𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓲𝓪𝓵 𝓛𝓲𝓶𝓲𝓽𝓼: • Over time, people may unconsciously believe they can only earn a certain amount or that wealth is out of reach for them. • They stop “jumping higher” financially, such as pursuing better-paying opportunities, investing, or starting a business, even when the external barriers no longer exist. 3) 𝓕𝓮𝓪𝓻 𝓸𝓯 𝓕𝓪𝓲𝓵𝓾𝓻𝓮 𝓸𝓻 𝓡𝓮𝓳𝓮𝓬𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷: • Like fleas avoiding the lid, fear of losing money or making financial mistakes keeps people from taking risks that could lead to wealth. • This includes avoiding investments, not negotiating salaries, or refusing to explore entrepreneurial ventures. 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐟𝐬: • Awareness: Recognize the “lid” in your thinking—whether it’s about income potential, wealth creation, or spending habits. • Reprogramming the Mindset: Replace limiting beliefs with empowering ones, such as “I am capable of earning and managing wealth” or “Money is a tool for creating opportunities.” • Taking Action: Remove the “lid” by learning about money management, seeking mentors, and making calculated financial decisions. Just as the fleas could escape the jar if they realized the lid was gone, individuals can break free from financial limitations by challenging their conditioned beliefs and expanding their financial potential. Have a good first day at work in 2025! Value Investing Academy

Wishing Everyone Good Health, Wealth and a Prosperous 2025! Huat Ah! Team Value Investing Academy!

Last training day for Year 2024 ended with full-house for our ViA 80. Will see them next year! Special thanks 🙏🏻 to our ViA Coaches and our in-house team! We Care to Make You a Better Investor. #GrowviaViA #ViAHuatMePls #ValueInvestingAcademy #valueinvesting #stocks

🎅 𝟯 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝗕𝘂𝗳𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘁 🎅 1. Investing in Yourself - No one can take that away from you. 2. You only have One Mind & Body - Make the best out of them 3. Associate with People Better than You Are - So that you will drift in that direction. On this note, Wishing Everyone a Wonderful Christmas 🎄! At Value Investing Academy, We Care to Make You a Better Investor. #GrowviaViA #ViAHuatMePls #ValueInvestingAcademy #ValueInvesting #WarrenBuffett

: What a morning! We kicked off our retreat by sharing ViA’s remarkable performance for 2024 and outlining our exciting goals for 2025. Then, we were thrilled to present a brand new iPhone Pro Max to a deserving staff member in recognition of her six years of dedication to ViA. The celebration continued with Christmas gifts (TWG Tea Set) for the team, a birthday celebration for my PA, and a well-deserved half-day off for everyone. At ViA, we feel empowered to make a meaningful impact on our team and drive positive change. Merry Christmas! At ViA, We Care to Make You a Better Investor. #GrowviaViA #ViAHuatMePls #ValueInvestingAcademy #valueinvesting