Charlie Munger’s Final Lesson: Don’t Wait to Catch Your Tuna Until It’s Too Late

I still find it hard to accept that Charlie Munger is no longer with us.

In what would be his final interview, CNBC’s Becky Quick posed a thought-provoking question: “Is there anything left on your bucket list, Charlie?”

In his characteristic thoughtful manner, Charlie paused, his gaze drifting downwards in contemplation. After a moment of silence, he responded with introspection, “Well… that’s an interesting question.”

He took a breath, collecting his thoughts. “Well… I am so old and weak compared to when I was 96 that I no longer want to catch a 200 lbs tuna. It’s just too goddamn much work to get it in. Takes too much physical strength. I would have paid any amount to catch a 200 lbs tuna. When I was younger, I never caught one. Now if you give me the opportunity, I would just decline going after them. There are things you give up with time.”

This candid admission from Charlie, a man who had amassed wealth and resources beyond most people’s wildest dreams, was a stark reminder of life’s impermanence, and how even the most successful among us are not immune to the passage of time.

This is a powerful reminder for all of us. 

Too many of us go through life without ever “catching our tuna”.

Our dreams and aspirations, whether they’re grand or modest, are often sidelined as we pursue other, seemingly urgent things, thinking we’ll have time later.

Charlie’s uncaught 200 lbs tuna underscores an essential truth: some things in life can’t be postponed.

The treasures of life are fleeting. Life’s most precious moments are like sand slipping through our fingers.

So, I encourage you, as I remind myself: Write down your dreams, your bucket list, regardless of their size. Formulate a plan on when and how. And then, chase them before father time takes it away.

In the journey of life, waiting for the perfect moment to catch your tuna might leave you with a lifetime of ‘what-ifs’, pondering over the adventures that could have been.