Gottesman had a net worth of $2.9 billion, thanks to a big bet on Berkshire. : David Sanford "Sandy" Gottesman, senior managing director at First Manhattan Co. and Berkshire ... [+] Hathaway Inc. director, arrives for the Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S., on Saturday, May 3, 2014. Billionaire investor David Gottesman, who went by “Sandy,” died Wednesday at age 96, his investment firm First Manhattan Co. announced Thursday. The cause of death was not mentioned in the announcement.