With control comes the added ability to take charge, which is a real advantage when change is needed. By turning Generals into Controls, Buffett was able to change the behavior of companies. He stopped the value-destructive activities at Dempster and Berkshire; he fixed the lopsided capital structure of Sanborn Map. Through the Controls, we not only get to see how Buffett came to recognize undervalued securities but also how he made businesses more valuable by improving the returns on the capital (assets) they employed. In an optimally run business, the value of control to a financial buyer is
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