6/17/26
When making a decision, ask yourself whether you’d be comfortable with the decision being published on the front page of your local newspaper.
Would you be happy to have your neighbors, family, friends, and children read about the decision you made?
If not, don’t make it.
The “Newspaper Test” is a famous ethical thought experiment used to guide difficult decision-making and protect your reputation. Popularized by billionaire investor Warren Buffett, it requires you to ask yourself and introspect the impact of your decisions.
In 1888, a French newspaper mistakenly published an obituary for Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite. It headlined him as “The Merchant of Death,” condemning him as a man who grew wealthy by finding ways to kill people faster than ever before.
Horrified by this legacy, he established the Nobel Prizes in his will.
The premature obituary was written because Nobel’s brother, Ludvig, had passed away, and the newspaper confused the two.
Reading his own harsh legacy was a wake-up call for Alfred.
Despite having always intended his explosives to be used for industrial and engineering purposes—and even believing his destructive weapons might create enough deterrence to ensure peace—he realized history would judge him exclusively as a harbinger of war.
Determined to change the ending of his story and leave a positive mark on humanity, Nobel signed his final will in 1895. It directed that the vast majority of his fortune be used to fund annual prizes recognizing those who have conferred the “greatest benefit on mankind” in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and peace.
We frequently see examples where individuals and corporates fail the ‘Buffett test.’
For example, using sales practices that deviate from a company’s core values,
cutting corners on safety to reduce costs,
accelerate speed-to-market to generate more near-term revenue, installing hidden software to defeat environmental emissions tests, leveraging one’s professional stature to sexually harass a subordinate, circumventing established internal controls to engage in fraud, and using offensive and racist language in emails.
These are but a few examples drawn from well-publicized incidents.
In an era where reputation seems tarnished across business and politics, Buffett’s wisdom on ethics stands taller than ever.
Don’t fail the ‘Newspaper – Buffet Test’ and stay blessed forever.