General Investing >> Money Manager Interviews >> May 8, 2000
David R. Fried is President and CEO of Fried Asset Management, Inc. A Cornell graduate, Mr. Fried is one of the few money managers to have also founded a company listed in Inc. magazine's annual "Inc. 500" list of the 500 fastest growing private companies, 1989. Mr. Fried is the editor and publisher of The Buyback Letter, the only investment newsletter devoted to finding opportunities among companies that repurchase their own stock. He has been recognized in numerous ways; from being listed as one of "50 Great Investors" in Fortune's Investors Guide 2004 to being a featured guest on Bloomberg Television, CNBC's "Money Club," "Squawk Box" and "Market Wrap" with Bill Bresnan in New York City. He has also been profiled in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Barron's, Bottom Line Personal, Kiplinger's Personal Finance, Forbes, Fortune, Business Week and numerous other publications. Mr. Fried is also an approved guest speaker for the American Association of Individual Investors. In 2008 he helped found First Commons Bank of Newton, Massachussetts. Mr. Fried completed a rigorous training program led by former Vice President Al Gore and was named one of Gore’s select “Global Warming Messengers” in 2007. He served on the board of directors of L.A. Family Housing from 2002 to 2008 and is currently a trustee — Treasurer — and member of the Executive Committee at New Roads School in Santa Monica, California. Profile
TWST: In the Buyback Letter you write that you don't select stocks asmuch as they select you. Tell us about your investment approach.
Mr. Fried: What we do is narrow the universe to companies