Early Life and Education of Warren Buffett: A Complete Timeline
Discover the defining moments in the early life of Warren Buffett. From birth to education, explore key events.
Warren Buffett is a highly successful American investor and philanthropist. He is the Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, a conglomerate holding company. His exceptional investment acumen has made him one of the most renowned investors globally. As of May 2025, Buffett's estimated net worth is approximately $160.2 billion, ranking him among the wealthiest individuals in the world. He is widely respected for his value investing philosophy and long-term investment strategies.
August 30, 1930: Warren Buffett's Birth
On August 30, 1930, Warren Buffett was born in Omaha, Nebraska, to Leila and Congressman Howard Buffett.
1942: Father Elected to Congress
In 1942, Warren Buffett's father was elected to the United States Congress, and the family moved to Washington, D.C.
1944: First Income Tax Return
In 1944, Warren Buffett took a $35 deduction on his first income tax return for the use of his bicycle and watch on his paper route.
1945: Purchase of Pinball Machines
In 1945, Warren Buffett and a friend spent $25 to purchase a used pinball machine, which they placed in the local barber shop.
1947: Matriculation at the Wharton School
In 1947, Warren Buffett enrolled at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
1947: Enrolled in Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
In 1947, Warren Buffett entered the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
1947: Graduation from Woodrow Wilson High School
In 1947, Warren Buffett graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School.
1949: Ukulele purchase
In 1949, Warren Buffett bought a ukulele to compete with a young woman's boyfriend, marking the beginning of his lifelong passion for the instrument.
1950: Rejected by Harvard Business School
In the spring of 1950, Warren Buffett was rejected by Harvard Business School.
1951: Worked at Buffett-Falk & Co.
From 1951, Warren Buffett worked at his father's firm, Buffett-Falk & Co., as an investment salesman.
1951: Graduation from Columbia Business School
In 1951, Warren Buffett graduated with a Master of Science in economics from Columbia Business School.
1951: First purchase of GEICO stock
In 1951, Warren Buffett met Lorimer Davidson, GEICO's vice president, and made his first purchase of GEICO stock.
1952: Marriage to Susan Thompson
In 1952, Warren Buffett married Susan Thompson at Dundee Presbyterian Church.
1954: Securities Analyst at Graham-Newman Corp.
From 1954, Warren Buffett worked at Graham-Newman Corp. as a securities analyst.
1954: Job at Benjamin Graham's Partnership
In 1954, Warren Buffett accepted a job at Benjamin Graham's partnership with a starting salary of $12,000 a year.
1954: Birth of son Howard
Warren and Susan Buffett had their son Howard in 1954.
1956: General Partner in Investment Partnerships
From 1956, Warren Buffett worked at several investment partnerships as the general partner.
1956: Retirement of Benjamin Graham
In 1956, Benjamin Graham retired and closed his partnership, leading Warren Buffett to return to Omaha and start a series of investment partnerships.
1956: Created Buffett Partnership Ltd.
In 1956, Warren Buffett created Buffett Partnership Ltd.
1957: Operation of Three Investment Partnerships
In 1957, Warren Buffett operated three investment partnerships.
1958: Sanborn stock sold at $45
In 1958, Sanborn stock sold for only $45 per share, while the company's investment portfolio was worth $65 per share.
1958: Purchase of Omaha Home
In 1958, Warren Buffett purchased a five-bedroom stucco house in Omaha for US$31,500 (equivalent to $352,658 in 2024), where he still lives.
1958: Birth of son Peter
Warren and Susan Buffett had their son Peter in 1958.
1961: Investment in Sanborn Map Company
In 1961, Warren Buffett revealed that 35% of the partnership's assets were invested in the Sanborn Map Company.
1962: Buffett Becomes a Millionaire
In 1962, Warren Buffett became a millionaire with the success of his partnerships.
1965: Aggressive Purchase of Berkshire Hathaway Shares
In 1965, Warren Buffett's partnerships began purchasing Berkshire Hathaway shares aggressively, paying $14.86 per share.
1966: Partnership Closed to New Money
In 1966, Warren Buffett closed the partnership to new money.
1967: First and Only Dividend of Berkshire Hathaway
In 1967, Berkshire Hathaway paid out its first and only dividend of 10 cents.
1969: End of the investment partnerships
In 1969, Warren Buffet ceased his work as the general partner for several investment partnerships
1969: Liquidation of Partnership
In 1969, Warren Buffett liquidated the partnership and transferred their assets to his partners, including shares of Berkshire Hathaway.
1970: Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
From 1970, Warren Buffett became chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
1970: Chairman and Majority Shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway
In 1970, Warren Buffett emerged as the chairman and majority shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway.
1970: Buffett presides as chairman of Berkshire Hathaway
Since 1970, Warren Buffett has presided as the chairman and largest shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway.
1971: Purchase of Laguna Beach Vacation Home
In 1971, Warren Buffett purchased a vacation home in Laguna Beach, California for $150,000.
1973: Acquisition of Washington Post Company Stock
In 1973, Berkshire Hathaway began to acquire stock in the Washington Post Company.
1977: Astrid moves in with Buffett
Astrid Menks moved in with Warren Buffett in 1977, after his wife's departure to San Francisco.
1977: Purchase of Buffalo Evening News
In 1977, Berkshire Hathaway indirectly purchased the Buffalo Evening News for $32.5 million.
1977: Separation from Susan
In 1977, Warren and Susan Buffett began living separately, though they remained married.
1979: Acquisition of ABC Stock
In 1979, Berkshire Hathaway began to acquire stock in ABC.
1982: Buffalo Courier-Express Folds
In 1982, the Buffalo Courier-Express folded after antitrust charges started.
March 18, 1985: Capital Cities Purchase of ABC
On March 18, 1985, Capital Cities announced a $3.5 billion purchase of ABC, with Warren Buffett helping to finance the deal.
1985: Appearance on Adam Smith's Money World
In 1985, Warren Buffett appeared on Adam Smith's Money World, reportedly his first television appearance.
1985: Sale of Berkshire Hathaway's Last Mill
In 1985, the last of the mills that had been the core business of Berkshire Hathaway was sold.
1987: Purchase of Stake in Salomon Inc.
In 1987, Berkshire Hathaway purchased a 12% stake in Salomon Inc., making it the largest shareholder and Warren Buffett a director.
1988: Purchase of Coca-Cola Company Stock
In 1988, Warren Buffett began buying The Coca-Cola Company stock, eventually purchasing up to 7% of the company for $1.02 billion.
1998: Acquisition of General Re
In 1998, Warren Buffett acquired General Re (Gen Re) as a subsidiary, a deal that presented difficulties.
2002: Involvement with Maurice R. Greenberg at AIG
In 2002, General Re provided reinsurance after Warren Buffett became involved with Maurice R. Greenberg at AIG.
2003: Advisor to Arnold Schwarzenegger
In 2003, Warren Buffett was a financial advisor to Republican candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger during the California gubernatorial election.
December 2006: Tech Usage
In December 2006, it was reported that Warren Buffett did not carry a mobile phone, did not have a computer at his desk, and drove his own automobile, a Cadillac DTS.
2006: Sponsorship of Buffett Cup
In 2006, Warren Buffett sponsored a bridge match for the Buffett Cup, modeled on the Ryder Cup in golf.
2006: Marriage to Astrid Menks
In 2006, on his 76th birthday, Warren Buffett married his longtime companion, Astrid Menks.
2007: Support for Bo Pelini Hire
Following the 2007 season, Warren Buffett supported the hire of Bo Pelini as the Nebraska football coach.
July 2, 2008: Fundraiser for Obama
On July 2, 2008, Warren Buffett attended a $28,500 per plate fundraiser for Barack Obama's campaign in Chicago.
2009: Article in the New Yorker
In 2009, Warren Buffett cited Atul Gawande's 2009 article in the New Yorker as a useful consideration of U.S. health care, with its documentation of unwarranted variation in Medicare expenditures between McAllen, Texas and El Paso, Texas.
2009: Meeting to Discuss Population Growth
In 2009, Warren Buffett met with several other billionaires to discuss healthcare, education and slowing population growth. This group was called "The Good Club".
2009: Honorary Assistant Coach
In 2009, Warren Buffett watched the game against Oklahoma from the Nebraska sideline, after being named an honorary assistant coach. He was also elected to the American Philosophical Society in 2009.
2010: The Giving Pledge Founded
In 2010, Warren Buffett and Bill Gates founded the Giving Pledge, whereby billionaires pledge to give away at least half of their fortunes.
2010: Cameo in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
In 2010, Warren Buffett made a cameo appearance in the film Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.
2010: Healthcare Expenditure
In 2010, Warren Buffett said that it was not sustainable for the U.S. to devote 17% of its GDP to healthcare expenditure and compares health care costs to a tapeworm.
April 11, 2012: Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer
On April 11, 2012, Warren Buffett was diagnosed with stage I prostate cancer during a routine test and announced he would begin two months of daily radiation treatment from mid-July.
September 15, 2012: Completion of Radiation Treatment
On September 15, 2012, Warren Buffett announced that he had completed the full 44-day radiation treatment cycle, saying "it's a great day for me" and "I am so glad to say that's over".
September 2013: Presentation to Georgetown University students
In late September 2013, Warren Buffett compared the U.S. Federal Reserve to a hedge fund during a presentation to Georgetown University students in Washington, D.C.
2013: Old Nokia Phone
In 2013 Warren Buffet had an old Nokia flip phone and had sent one email in his entire life.
December 16, 2015: Endorsement of Hillary Clinton
On December 16, 2015, Warren Buffett endorsed Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton for president.
2015: Appearance in Entourage
In 2015, Warren Buffett appeared in an episode of Entourage.
August 1, 2016: Challenge to Donald Trump
On August 1, 2016, Warren Buffett challenged Donald Trump to release his tax returns.
October 10, 2016: Release of Tax Return
On October 10, 2016, after a reference to him in the second presidential debate, Warren Buffett released his own tax return. He had paid $1.85 million in federal income taxes in 2015.
April 2017: Likeness on Cherry Coke in China
In April 2017, Warren Buffett agreed to have his likeness placed on Cherry Coke products in China, without compensation.
2017: Subject of Becoming Warren Buffett Documentary
In 2017, Warren Buffett was the subject of the HBO documentary feature, Becoming Warren Buffett.
2018: Preferred Search Engine
At the 2018 Berkshire Hathaway's shareholder meeting, Warren Buffett stated that he uses Google as his preferred search engine.
2018: Sale of Laguna Beach Vacation Home
In 2018, Warren Buffett sold his vacation home in Laguna Beach, California, for $7.5 million, which he had purchased for $150,000 in 1971.
February 2020: iPhone 11
In February 2020, Warren Buffett revealed in a CNBC interview that he had traded in his flip phone for an iPhone 11.
2020: Judging Donald Trump
Warren Buffett stated that he would judge President Donald Trump by his results on national safety, economic growth and economic participation when deciding if he would vote for him in the 2020 presidential election.
2022: Reconciliation with Nicole Buffett
By 2022, Warren Buffett and his son Peter's adopted daughter, Nicole, had reconciled.
September 2023: Death of Jimmy Buffett
In September 2023, Jimmy Buffett, a longtime friend of Warren Buffett, passed away. They often referred to one another as "Uncle Warren" and "Cousin Jimmy".
May 3, 2025: Greg Abel to succeed Buffett
On May 3, 2025, at Berkshire Hathaway's investor conference, Warren Buffett requested that the board appoint Greg Abel to succeed him as the company's chief executive officer by the year's end, whilst remaining chairman.
May 2025: Buffett's Net Worth
As of May 2025, Warren Buffett's estimated net worth was US$160.2 billion, making him the fifth-richest individual in the world, according to Forbes.
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