Hi Jesse!

> Thanks, Dien. Some thought-provoking stuff
> you've shared! I'm particularly intrigued by
> this takeover strategy, as it would seem on
> the surface to be more of a niche technique
> and not something that millions of others
> are doing or attempting.

Yes.... I know some others also use this kind of approach, but they do it by doing "insider trading" and getting inside company information -- which is illegal. That's the Gordon Gekko approach, if you've seen the movie "Wall Street"! It's also what put insider-trader Ivan Boesky behind bars in the 1980s.

I don't think Rene Rivkin does it that way, because he's so public about his approach.

I think what Rivkin does is he takes public knowledge and interprets it (using his experience) to make informed guesses regarding possible takeovers, which he believes are about to occur in the upcoming weeks or months....

As long as you're using public knowledge, it's legal.

> Of course one can't go wrong imitating just
> about ANYTHING that Buffett has done, as he
> is a certifiable financial genius :). Of
> course the million dollar question is how do
> you develop a reliable methodology for
> spotting those undervalued companies.

> And last, but certainly not least, I'm
> interested in your OWN technique which has
> been very profitable for you! I'm frankly
> impressed that you even HAVE a very
> profitable technique with the state of the
> market these days. Then again, I've heard
> that the best investors make money
> regardless of how the market is doing.

> If you'd rather keep your strategy
> proprietary, I certainly respect that right.
> But if you're willing to share, I'd be
> fascinated to get an insight :)

Jesse, I use a Buffett-esque technique. That's why I'm such a Buffett-fan!

The answer is, you can make money in the present market (I have been). I'll write more about that next. :)

- Dien