Nebraska Furniture Mart

American furniture retailer founded by Rose Blumkin in Omaha in 1937 — which grew to become the largest furniture store in North America — and which Warren Buffett acquired for Berkshire Hathaway in 1983 in one of his most celebrated transactions.

Demonstrates the immigrant entrepreneur model at its most pure — Rose Blumkin arrived from Russia speaking no English, started selling furniture from a basement, and built the largest furniture store in North America through buying right and selling cheap — and Buffett's acquisition became the template for his subsequent approach to acquiring family businesses.