But he had one exceptional skill he was an extraordinary public speaker and he first established a reputation as a teacher of public speaking at night school in New York's YMCAs.

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He even enrolled in a public speaking course and dropped out before it even started.

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So he enrolled in a Dale Carnegie public speaking course and says the skills he learned there enabled him to woo his future wife, Susan Thompson, a "champion debater, " he says.

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Unfortunately, as smart as he was in realizing a good marketing opportunity, he turned out to be sadly dumb in his approach to public speaking.

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The MSP also said he was "broadly speaking" in favour of Scandinavian-style public services, but which would need to be funded through higher taxes.

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Speaking in public on Tuesday, Mr Vasquez said he had considered going to war over the issue and had even asked then US President George W Bush for support.

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Despite self-doubt and a terror of public speaking, he manoeuvred rivals aside to become president in December 1989.

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"Instead of matching them on the cuts they should be articulating a clear alternative and speaking up for public sector workers and ordinary people in society, " he said.

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Public speaking makes him visibly nervous, and fellow council members complain that he keeps himself entertained in legislative sessions by BlackBerrying.

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At the age of 21, Buffett started his career in the securities business in Omaha and decided that to reach his full potential, he had to overcome his fear of public speaking.

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