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Now, there's a Warren Buffett Monopoly
Investment guru's holdings highlighted in Berkshire Hathaway version of popular board game.
April 25, 2005: 8:52 AM EDT
The Berkshire Hathaway version of Monopoly is now available from a retailer owned by the company.
The Berkshire Hathaway version of Monopoly is now available from a retailer owned by the company.
The game pieces, as well as the properties, represent Berkshire investments.
The game pieces, as well as the properties, represent Berkshire investments.

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Investors are getting a new opportunity to invest with Warren Buffett, even if they can't afford the price of a single share of Berkshire Hathaway stock.

A retailer owned by Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (Research), Borsheim's, has started selling a Berkshire Hathaway Diamond Edition Monopoly Game.

Instead of the typical properties from Mediterranean Avenue to Boardwalk, players can buy companies which Buffett has purchased, including GEICO insurance, Fruit of the Loom underwear, Dairy Queen and Borsheim's itself.

Publicly-traded companies in which Berkshire has significant holdings such as Coca-Cola (Research) and Gillette (Research) are not included in the game.

Four insurance units of Berkshire -- GEICO, National Indemnity Insurance, General Reinsurance and U.S. Liability Insurance -- take the place of the railroads in the game, while its Mid American Energy Unit replaces Electric Co. Wayne Water Systems, another Berkshire unit, take the place of Water Works.

Instead of Income Tax, players landing on that space have to pay an Acquisition Fee.

While Borsheim's might not be the best known Berkshire unit, it did give itself the prime real estate position occupied by Boardwalk in the traditional game. The Nebraska Furniture Market takes the place of Park Place.

In the low-rent district normally occupied by Mediterranean and Baltic Avenues comes Acme Brick and Larson Juhl, a wood molding unit of Berkshire.

The custom pewter tokens also represent Berkshire investments, including a gecko lizard that is used in its GEICO insurance commercials and a Dairy Queen ice cream cone. And a drawing of Buffett is on the Chance cards, while Berkshire Vice Chairman Charlie Munger is on the Community Chest cards.

Buffett's picture is also on all the money. All property prices remain the same as the traditional game.

The game costs $28.04 on Borsheim's Web site -- far less than the value of Berkshire shares. The Class A Berkshire shares closed Friday at $82,050, by far the nation's most expensive publicly traded shares. Class B Berkshire shares closed at $2,743.

The game is already for sale on the Borsheim's site, but it is being unveiled at the Berkshire annual meeting April 30 in Omaha.

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