American jewelry retailer who sold Helzberg Diamonds to Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway in 1995 — notable for the unusually personal and values-driven way he ran and sold his family business.
Helzberg's distinctive contribution is in the literature of values-driven business: his book about selling to Buffett (What I Learned Before I Sold to Warren Buffett) documents a business philosophy centered on employee respect, customer service, and long-term thinking. The sale to Berkshire was itself unusual — Helzberg approached Buffett at a conference after recognizing him, leading to one of Berkshire's acquisitions.
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