Animated About Investment

0

Saturday morning cartoons could soon feature a hero with a name familiar to business people but probably unknown to children: Warren Buffett.

An animated version of the billionaire investor is a character on “Secret Millionaires Club,” a show produced by A2 Entertainment in Beverly Hills. Andy Heyward, former chief executive of DIC Entertainment of Burbank and co-founder of A2, created the series to teach children about financial literacy and hopes to ink a network deal soon.

The show features three teens with a secret stash of cash that they put into other children’s ventures. Typical episodes cover car washes, bake sales, dog walking and lawn mowing. Buffett acts as the group’s adviser, and every episode ends with him sharing wisdom with the young entrepreneurs.

“A lot of the show is character lessons, which Warren considers part and parcel of success in business,” Heyward explained. “We aren’t trying to teach kids how to read a balance sheet.”

Heyward and Buffett met when the Omaha, Neb., investor owned DIC. For years, Heyward produced an opening cartoon for Buffett’s famous shareholder meetings. One year Buffett was Batman and his L.A.-based partner Charlie Munger was Robin. At this year’s meeting, the opening cartoon was an episode of “Secret Millionaires Club.”

For “Secret Millionaire’s Club,” Buffett participates in writing the advice, voices his character and helps promote the show.

Many of the children in the show’s target audience, ages 6 to 11, may not know who Buffett is, which is why the show’s creators emphasize the kids’ adventures.

AOL has bankrolled the show, and webcasts it on its kids’ section and A2’s website. Heyward said he is in serious talks for a deal to air the show on network TV later this year.

No posts to display