He really is amazing. I live in Omaha. You can drive by Buffett's house, and you'd have no idea who lives there if you didn't already know. I know people who have interacted with him on a regular basis, and he is just as personable and down-to-earth as his public image suggests.
I've always enjoyed reading Buffett's remarks in Berkshire's shareholders reports because of those very reasons. There's no BS; he just tells it the way it is, covering both successes and failures. And when he talks about the overall economy, he puts it in terms that people can readily grasp the concept without being swamped by gobbledegook.
He also puts on a great shareholder's meeting every year, where he and his #2 Charlie Munger spend a lot of time just answering questions. And of course, there are the discounts at Dairy Queen and Nebraska Furniture Mart. He even supports local independent businesses like The Bookworm.
