Warren Buffett's Timeless Warning: 'What the Wise Do in the Beginning, Fools Do in the End' on Wall Street

Warren Buffett isn’t just one of the world’s greatest investors, he also has a talent for sharing knowledge and turning complex topics into memorable phrases that function as great lessons on how to (or how not to) invest.

One of Buffett’s quotes that is particularly pertinent today is: “What the wise do in the beginning, fools do in the end.” Originating from “The Essays of Warren Buffett: Lessons for Corporate America,” a book compiling Buffett’s annual letters to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, this metaphor reminds us of the shortcomings of rushing into hot investments after prices have already soared, which is a trend that’s popular in recent years.

The Meaning Behind the Quote

With this phrase, Buffett is essentially saying that the wise act early and the fools act late. In investing circles, the wise are the ones doing their own research, buying undervalued stocks, and patiently holding until the market realizes their potential. The fools, on the other hand, pile into investments after seeing that others have made a lot of money out of it. Their goal is to make a quick and easy profit, but they are often too late to profit as much.

Buffett’s quote ties into the psychology of fear and greed, two emotions that often define how people invest and lead to bad decisions, and reflect his investment philosophy. Buffett made his money buying stocks that the market was underestimating early and standing by his convictions rather than chasing trends and hoping to benefit quickly from momentum.

Examples from Wall Street History

Buffett’s wise and fool observation plays out every day in investment markets. Here are some moments that stand out as drawing a lot of attention.

Dotcom Bubble

In the mid to late 1990s, investors began recognizing the transformative potential of the internet and investing in the companies that looked best placed to profit and whose valuations didn’t reflect that.

By late 1999, everyone wanted in on internet stocks and their seemingly endless upside potential, prompting the “fools” to pile into any company in the sector, regardless of their fundamentals or price. Eventually, the Dotcom bubble popped, and thousands of these tech stocks went out of business.

Crypto Mania

Cryptocurrencies have experienced several highs and lows. Early adopters, or those who arrived later but did their own research and stood by their conviction during bouts of volatility, generally profited.

Then there were the “fools,” who jumped in not because they understood what the digital currency is worth, but because they saw they were making people rich. They bought in during the peaks and then panicked and sold when the valuation of the investment crashed.

Why This Matters Today

People have often rushed to buy investments they don’t understand just because they appear to be making others rich. Although there is an argument that technological advancements have made this trend much more prevalent today.

With the internet, it’s much easier to invest and be tempted into buying assets that have surged in value. There are dozens of apps and trading platforms that let you trade instantly at competitive prices. And many people give dubious advice about how to make a fortune.

Many of these get-rich-quick pitches are instigated by people trying to rally others to buy an asset they already own to increase its value. But that’s seldom disclosed, and the fear of missing out on potentially making a lot of money can sometimes be too overwhelming to ignore.

The Bottom Line

When Buffett said “What the wise do in the beginning, fools do in the end,” he was pointing out the flaws of blindly chasing trends and underlining the importance of sticking to his core investment fundamentals—doing your own homework, buying low and selling high, being patient, and understanding that it can take time for investments to pay off.