Banks, Berkshire Hathaway | featured news

Warren Buffett is coming to the rescue of another fallen giant. Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. announced Thursday that it would invest $5 billion in Bank of America Corp., giving a much-needed vote of confidence to the beleaguered bank. The news sent the bank's stock soaring 9 percent.

The one man Berkshire Hathaway Risk Committee and Chief Risk Officer, 79 year old Warren Buffett, says that directors of major banks are "derelict" if they don't "insist that [their] CEO bear full responsibility for risk control. If he's incapable of handling that job, he should look for other employment. And if he fails at it -- with the government thereupon required to step in with funds or guarantees -- the financial consequences for him and the board should be severe."

It's 12 months later and Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway is $3 billion richer. One year ago today, on September 23, 2008, with the financial world still reeling from the collapse of Lehman Brothers just days before, Buffett stunned Wall Street with a massive vote of confidence for Goldman Sachs.