OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Billionaire Warren Buffett says a key part of why he is optimistic about the nation's economic future is that America has begun to unleash the potential of women.

Buffett wrote an editorial for Fortune magazine (http://cnnmon.ie/ZBFiri) about the role of women that appeared online on Thursday.

Buffett says most of America's prosperity was created using only about 50 percent of its talent — the men. So he's confident the country will prosper as more and more women excel in the workforce.

Buffett plans to discuss the topic at an event at the University of Nebraska at Omaha's business college at 11 a.m. Central Thursday that will be broadcast online at Fortune.com.

He is getting ready to face more than 30,000 Berkshire Hathaway shareholders this weekend.

More From KGAB