TIP737: Margin Of Safety by Seth Klarman w/ Kyle Grieve

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Episode: TIP737: Margin Of Safety by Seth Klarman w/ Kyle Grieve
Pub date: 2025-07-13

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On today’s episode, Kyle Grieve discusses the principles of value investing, including how to distinguish between speculation and true investing, the dangers of Wall Street's incentive structures, and the importance of prioritizing downside protection over upside potential. We’ll also delve into discipline for value investing, how to develop a margin of safety mindset, and how to build a risk-averse strategy and portfolio.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN: 00:00 - Intro 05:04 - Why most investors speculate rather than invest—and how to tell the difference

11:01 - Why fund managers have structural weaknesses that require them to prioritize the wrong things

13:26 - Why EBITDA can mislead—and how it hides a business’s actual condition

16:46 - Why value investors focus more on downside protection than upside potential

18:47 - How to think about margin of safety when constructing a portfolio

31:51 - The three temperamental traits most critical to successful value investing

36:38 - Why value investors hold cash and how they use it as a strategic weapon

44:00 - A detailed breakdown of how Klarman values businesses

20:06 - The major types of value opportunities—and where to find them

1:02:49 - Klarman’s perspective on diversification and intelligent position sizing

Disclaimer: Slight discrepancies in the timestamps may occur due to podcast platform differences.

BOOKS AND RESOURCES

• Join Clay and a select group of passionate value investors for a retreat in Big Sky, Montana. Learn more ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
• Join the exclusive ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TIP Mastermind Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to engage in meaningful stock investing discussions with Stig, Clay, Kyle, and the other community members.
• Buy a copy of Margin of Safety here.
• Follow Kyle on Twitter and LinkedIn.
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