February 8, 2006
Should the Oracle of Omaha, drawn as a cartoon character, look like Richie Rich or more like a Power Ranger?
Last year, the world's second-richest man, Warren Buffett, appeared in animated form as a girl named Dorothy with friends made of straw, or tin, or lacking courage. However, Dorothy was a middle-aged man bearing a striking resemblance to Buffett.
Now Buffett is lending his voice to a character in DIC Entertainment Holdings Inc.'s cartoon ``The Secret Millionaire's Club,'' Debbie Bosanek, his assistant, said in an e-mail. The cartoon will be aimed at improving kids' financial literacy, Bosanek said. Details on what sort of character Buffett will speak for, or his appearance, were under wraps.
The billionaire chairman and chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is a star already among older audiences. His folksy manner and investment acumen draw thousands of fans each year to Berkshire's shareholders meeting in Omaha, Neb. His ``chairman's letter'' in the insurance and investment company's annual report is famous for its jokes and plain-spoken style.
DIC, based in Burbank, Calif., develops and distributes animated programs and sells consumer products based on characters such as Strawberry Shortcake, Inspector Gadget and Sonic the Hedgehog. CBS will air cartoons from DIC's library on Saturday mornings in the U.S. this fall, and possibly new programming.
Source: www.chicagotribune.com
