Buffetthead attitudes appeal at all latitudes

Tampa businessman Bob Miles is quickly turning his fascination with billionaire Warren Buffett into a cottage industry.

It started four years ago when Miles logged on to the Motley Fool bulletin board and started posting a reason a day to invest in Buffett's company, Berkshire Hathaway. Miles turned his "101 reasons" into a book. Then came a second book based on interviews with CEOs at Buffett-owned companies such as Geico Insurance and Helzberg Diamonds.

Soon, Miles became known as an expert on the Oracle of Omaha, delivering lectures about the "Buffett way" to eager investors and even traveling to Nebraska for his idol's birthday party.

Not long ago, Miles was booking conventions and trade shows for a living. But the way things are going, proselytizing for Buffett -- call it Buffettizing -- has become a full-time job.

A week ago, Miles launched his latest Buffett-related venture, selling an audio CD that replays a speech that the great man gave in Canada.

The CD, Reflections of a Billionaire CEO: How to See You in the Image, largely repeats anecdotes in Miles' second book. That hasn't deterred some buyers. Miles shipped his first e-mails heralding the CD sale on a Friday; by the following Monday morning, he had landed 17 orders at $20 apiece (a discount from the regular price of $24.95).

Many of the devotees were overseas. "I sold one to India, two to Australia, one to France and a couple to Canada," Miles said.

The Buffett guru said he was a bit surprised at receiving an international response but offered one simple explanation for the enthusiasm: "They're Buffettheads."

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