Buffett — who it is worth pointing out invested $5bn in Goldman at the height of the financial crisis — mounted what the WSJ call a "vigorous defense " of the company, saying he did not believe they had acted improperly.

Meanwhile his Berkshire Hathaway recorded a first quarter profit of $3.6bn. Which must make it easier to be magnanimous. "What was sort of a sputtering recovery months ago seemed to pick up steam in March and April," Buffett is quoted in the Journal as saying. "We're seeing a pretty good uptick."