Is Washington Post Next to Be Ripped?

Given the relationship, the arrangement is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future. Berkshire's stake in Washington Post is valued at about $1 billion, little more than a rounding error in its $200 billion portfolio. He wasn't available for comment on his stake.

"Buffett can be emotional about this investment, because while it was critical in his early days when he was forming Berkshire, it doesn't come close to moving the needle for the company anymore, nor will it ever," says Tilson.

"Buffett would view the Washington Post as a national asset, and to the extent that it's not quite as profitable as it once was, you have to understand that the Washington Post is the Pentagon Papers and Watergate," he adds. "Even if it never makes a dime forever, Buffett would want it to continue doing what it has been doing for a century."