May 3, 2008 11:11AM

Stampede in Omaha!!!

By Liz Claman

Oh, and btw, Buffett tells me it’s *not* true that BRK is buying AMEX

The alarm went off for our Fox business crew at 3:30am and we rushed out the doors of our hotel, laden with gear, laptops and our tennis shoes and headed to the Qwest Center where 31,000 people would amass within hours.

Already the lines had formed and people were shivering in the 35 degree weather, waiting to be let in. We had our gear checked by bomb-sniffing dogs and then headed in.

150 members of the international media (nearly double last year!) are here and I’m glad I wore my Nikes and not the Manolos–this place is huge and Buffett moves FAST.

He showed up at 6:45am and after having his portrait painted by famed rock-and-roll artist Michael Israel, he went straight to the sprawling display floor where all 76 BRK-owned business are showing their wares.

I got a one-on-one interview with him during which he told me the rumor BRK might buy American Express is “not true.”. He also said his companies will make more than 50 million dollars over the weekend as shareholders snap up jewelry, furniture and Dairy Queen Dilly bars by the thousands.

You can see the entire interview during our live interview tonight on Fox Business at 7pm ET.

Right now the meeting is in full-swing. Investors are already asking questions like, “Where do you think the market is going?” And the response? “Charlie and I don’t have the faintest idea where it’s going next day, next month, next year.”

I’ll be back in a few minutes with more!!!
–Liz