Cartoon Billionaire Teaches Kids About Financial Responsibility

Buffett will play himself, working pro bono, in an upcoming 13-part DVD series, "The Secret Millionaire's Club," produced by DIC Entertainment Corp, which is based in Burbank. The 75-year-old grandfather will play an animated version of himself, offering his wisdom with the kind of down-home delivery that has made him a hero to investors. To learn more about the animated series, visit www.dicentertainment.com.

"An educational approach to money and investing struck me as a very good idea," Buffett said in an interview. "People do form behavior habits very young on matters of money. I get calls every day from people who are in a financial hole."

In the series, Buffett offers advice to a group of children who want to raise money to ward off a morally corrupt developer aiming to shut down a youth center in Buffett's hometown of Omaha.

The children auction off valuable baseball memorabilia they discover in the attic of the club; this allows them to raise enough money to save the center. After the kids successfully pay off the club's outstanding mortgage, they turn to Buffett for invest advice.

Not surprisingly, the stories, aimed at children 8 to 12, reflect many of Buffett's own investment preferences. The kids invest in an ice cream franchise and a candy store. Buffett's holding company, Berkshire Hathaway, owns International Dairy Queen Inc. and See's Candies Inc.

The series also teaches basic principles of managing money, especially avoiding debt, a pet subject of Buffett's. When you talk about teaching kids financial literacy, he's the standard; based on his history, he brings a credibility that doesn't exist anywhere else.

”The Secret Millionaire's Club” will begin production this month, with Buffett and other characters recording their voices in Omaha. To learn more about the entertainment industry, visit www.exploretalent.com or www.auditions.com.