Robert Vinall
Robert Vinall is one of Europe's most respected independent fund managers, running RV Capital from Germany since 2008. After working at Deutsche Bank and then Berkshire Hathaway's investment team, he founded RV Capital with a small group of long-term oriented investors. The fund is notable for its extreme concentration — typically holding just 10–15 positions — and its willingness to hold companies for a decade or more. Vinall writes annual letters to his investors that are widely circulated and respected for their clarity and intellectual honesty.
RV Capital has delivered exceptional long-term returns with a portfolio that has evolved over the years from European value stocks toward a more global, quality-growth orientation. Vinall is deeply influenced by Buffett, Munger, and the Berkshire philosophy, but has developed his own distinct approach that emphasizes businesses with network effects and recurring revenue models. He is unusually transparent about his mistakes and thought process, which has made his annual letters required reading among value investing practitioners globally.
The goal is not to have a diversified portfolio of average businesses. The goal is to own a concentrated portfolio of exceptional businesses and hold them for a very long time.
— Robert Vinall, RV Capital