Warren Buffett is a rock star. Literally.

In a new Geico video, which swept the Internet Friday, a long-haired, bandanna-wrapped Warren Buffett sings like rock star Axl Rose (sort of).

Warren Buffett channels rocker Axl Rose in this screen grab from a Geico commercial.

Youtube

March 19, 2010

Warren Buffett, investor extraordinaire, and now, YouTube sensation?

It's true, the Oracle of Omaha is making a big splash as a long-haired, bandanna-wrapped rock star in a promotional Web video for Geico, an insurance company owned by Mr. Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway.

In the video, Buffett sways, he points, he even sings. And while his voice isn't anything like, say, that of U2's Bono, he makes a quasi-convincing Axl Rose and is very, very funny. (See last video below.)

Maybe this is what it takes to be a CEO pitchman in the 21st century.

But this isn't Buffett's first foray into video, not by a long shot.

Last year, he appeared as a cartoon character in "The Secret Millionaire's Club" with advice for kids on what makes a good company.

He appeared as President Madison in a 2002 TV series called "Liberty's Kids: Est. 1776," as himself in two episodes of the soap opera "All My Children" in 2008, and as himself in the US-debt documentary "I.O.U.S.A." also in 2008, according to the Internet Movie Database.

Last year, he appeared in a promotional video for Dayang Group in China, which sells men's suits and has Buffett as a faithful customer, not an investor.

But the new Geico video is clearly the most playful, counter-stereotype video the mega-investor has ever released.

He doesn't look like a billion bucks. Not even close.

And that's refreshing.