New Monopoly game features Warren Buffett

updated 3:02 p.m. ET April 22, 2005

OMAHA, Neb. - If you've got $30 and some imagination, you can invest with Warren Buffett.

A special edition of the "Monopoly" board game featuring Buffett and his Berkshire Hathaway companies will be unveiled next week in conjunction with Buffett's annual shareholder meeting in Omaha.

The Berkshire version of the game was the brainchild of Emily Wigton, corporate gift sales associate for Omaha-based Borsheim's Fine Jewelry and Gifts, a member of the Berkshire portfolio.

A total of 5,000 games were manufactured and will go on sale Monday to the general public.

What's Buffett think of the game?

"He loves it," Wigton said. "He doesn't think we'll have enough."

Buffett has made himself the world's second-richest man — and many of his stockholders into millionaires — by buying companies in a wide array of industries, including insurance, furniture, restaurants, candy and newspapers.

Each of his companies are represented in the Monopoly game.

In place of the traditional Monopoly game pieces, such as the car and ship, the Berkshire version uses pieces that represent companies. They are an ice cream cone for Dairy Queen, a cowboy boot for Justin Brands, a sofa for Buffett's furniture stores, a diamond ring for his several jewelry stores, an airplane for his aviation companies and a gecko for GEICO Auto Insurance.

Wigton said an Omaha theme was used to determine the most coveted properties. Borsheim's _ "the top dog," as Wigton calls it — is Boardwalk and the Nebraska Furniture Mart is Park Place.

The Community Chest and Chance cards feature the likeness of Buffett and his right hand man, Berkshire vice chairman Charlie Munger.

USAopoly, which licenses a plethora of Monopoly game versions, requires that standard Monopoly money be used, meaning one-dollar, five-dollar and 10-dollar bills are the norm.

That's where your imagination is really tested.

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