This conversation is part of our special series, Intelligent Investing 100. Every week for one hundred weeks we bring you an exclusive segment with a recognized thought leader in the field of investing. Stay tuned for a new release every Thursday at 11:30am ET.
We continue this series with insights from Arnold Van Den Berg, chief executive officer and co-chief investment officer of Century Management, based in Austin, Texas. Arnold joined fellow members at MOI Global’s Latticework summit, held at the Yale Club of NYC in September 2019.
In a session led by William Green, celebrated author of The Great Minds of Investing and Richer, Wiser, Happier, Arnold reflected on his path in life and investing, including growing up under Nazi persecution in occupied Holland during World War II. Having overcome the odds, Arnold continued his inspiring personal growth journey in the U.S. and built an investment organization that has endured through the decades.
Here is just one fascinating anecdote, in Arnold’s words:
When I visited the psychiatrist, I told him I wanted to become a money manager. I told him about my rope climbing technique. I would get in front of a mirror and visualize my moves. I repeated to myself that I would be a great champion. I was obsessed with it. It became a subconscious program. Even in a meet, I would get the feeling I would win. It just came to me. The psychiatrist said, “What you did in gymnastics is what we teach in sports psychology. We teach the repetition, the visualization, the setting of goals, and sticking to it no matter what.” He said, “If you do the same thing in your business, the same thing will happen.”
As he said that, I got chills on my right arm. Whenever I hear a truth, my right arm gets chills, and I knew it was right. I went home that day. I lived in a studio apartment. I cleared out my studio, put a desk in the middle of the room, and decided I would start my company. I had no education, no money, and no clients. It’s a tough way to get the business going, certainly not a start enabling a five-year cash flow projection!
The Latticework summit, held at the Yale Club of New York City, is our flagship annual event. It has been lauded as a uniquely impactful forum of great minds from the MOI Global community. Speakers have included Charles de Vaulx, Tom Gayner, Peter Keefe, Bryan Lawrence, Howard Marks, Michael Mauboussin, Mohnish Pabrai, Tom Russo, Guy Spier, Murray Stahl, Will Thorndike, Christopher Tsai, Arnold Van Den Berg, and Ed Wachenheim.
In October 2025 fellow investors and wisdom-seekers will come together for the eighth edition. A limited number of early-bird passes are now available.
