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.
On August 30, 1930, Warren Buffett was born in Omaha, Nebraska, to Leila and Congressman Howard Buffett.
In 1942, Warren Buffett's father was elected to the United States Congress, and the family moved to Washington, D.C.
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.
In 1945, Warren Buffett and a friend spent $25 to purchase a used pinball machine, which they placed in the local barber shop.
In 1947, Warren Buffett enrolled at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
In 1947, Warren Buffett entered the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
In 1947, Warren Buffett graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School.
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.
In the spring of 1950, Warren Buffett was rejected by Harvard Business School.
From 1951, Warren Buffett worked at his father's firm, Buffett-Falk & Co., as an investment salesman.
In 1951, Warren Buffett graduated with a Master of Science in economics from Columbia Business School.
In 1951, Warren Buffett met Lorimer Davidson, GEICO's vice president, and made his first purchase of GEICO stock.
In 1952, Warren Buffett married Susan Thompson at Dundee Presbyterian Church.
From 1954, Warren Buffett worked at Graham-Newman Corp. as a securities analyst.
In 1954, Warren Buffett accepted a job at Benjamin Graham's partnership with a starting salary of $12,000 a year.
Warren and Susan Buffett had their son Howard in 1954.
From 1956, Warren Buffett worked at several investment partnerships as the general partner.
In 1956, Benjamin Graham retired and closed his partnership, leading Warren Buffett to return to Omaha and start a series of investment partnerships.
In 1956, Warren Buffett created Buffett Partnership Ltd.
In 1957, Warren Buffett operated three investment partnerships.
In 1958, Sanborn stock sold for only $45 per share, while the company's investment portfolio was worth $65 per share.
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.
Warren and Susan Buffett had their son Peter in 1958.
In 1961, Warren Buffett revealed that 35% of the partnership's assets were invested in the Sanborn Map Company.
In 1962, Warren Buffett became a millionaire with the success of his partnerships.
In 1965, Warren Buffett's partnerships began purchasing Berkshire Hathaway shares aggressively, paying $14.86 per share.
In 1966, Warren Buffett closed the partnership to new money.
In 1967, Berkshire Hathaway paid out its first and only dividend of 10 cents.
In 1969, Warren Buffet ceased his work as the general partner for several investment partnerships
In 1969, Warren Buffett liquidated the partnership and transferred their assets to his partners, including shares of Berkshire Hathaway.
From 1970, Warren Buffett became chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
In 1970, Warren Buffett emerged as the chairman and majority shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway.
Since 1970, Warren Buffett has presided as the chairman and largest shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway.
In 1971, Warren Buffett purchased a vacation home in Laguna Beach, California for $150,000.
In 1973, Berkshire Hathaway began to acquire stock in the Washington Post Company.
Astrid Menks moved in with Warren Buffett in 1977, after his wife's departure to San Francisco.
In 1977, Berkshire Hathaway indirectly purchased the Buffalo Evening News for $32.5 million.
In 1977, Warren and Susan Buffett began living separately, though they remained married.
In 1982, the Buffalo Courier-Express folded after antitrust charges started.
On March 18, 1985, Capital Cities announced a $3.5 billion purchase of ABC, with Warren Buffett helping to finance the deal.
In 1985, Warren Buffett appeared on Adam Smith's Money World, reportedly his first television appearance.
In 1985, the last of the mills that had been the core business of Berkshire Hathaway was sold.
In 1987, Berkshire Hathaway purchased a 12% stake in Salomon Inc., making it the largest shareholder and Warren Buffett a director.
In 1988, Warren Buffett began buying The Coca-Cola Company stock, eventually purchasing up to 7% of the company for $1.02 billion.
In 1998, Warren Buffett acquired General Re (Gen Re) as a subsidiary, a deal that presented difficulties.
In 2002, General Re provided reinsurance after Warren Buffett became involved with Maurice R. Greenberg at AIG.
In 2003, Warren Buffett was a financial advisor to Republican candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger during the California gubernatorial election.
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.
In 2006, Warren Buffett sponsored a bridge match for the Buffett Cup, modeled on the Ryder Cup in golf.
In 2006, on his 76th birthday, Warren Buffett married his longtime companion, Astrid Menks.
Following the 2007 season, Warren Buffett supported the hire of Bo Pelini as the Nebraska football coach.
On July 2, 2008, Warren Buffett attended a $28,500 per plate fundraiser for Barack Obama's campaign in Chicago.
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.
In 2009, Warren Buffett met with several other billionaires to discuss healthcare, education and slowing population growth. This group was called "The Good Club".
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.
In 2010, Warren Buffett and Bill Gates founded the Giving Pledge, whereby billionaires pledge to give away at least half of their fortunes.
In 2010, Warren Buffett made a cameo appearance in the film Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.
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.
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.
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".
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.
In 2013 Warren Buffet had an old Nokia flip phone and had sent one email in his entire life.
On December 16, 2015, Warren Buffett endorsed Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton for president.
In 2015, Warren Buffett appeared in an episode of Entourage.
On August 1, 2016, Warren Buffett challenged Donald Trump to release his tax returns.
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.
In April 2017, Warren Buffett agreed to have his likeness placed on Cherry Coke products in China, without compensation.
In 2017, Warren Buffett was the subject of the HBO documentary feature, Becoming Warren Buffett.
At the 2018 Berkshire Hathaway's shareholder meeting, Warren Buffett stated that he uses Google as his preferred search engine.
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.
In February 2020, Warren Buffett revealed in a CNBC interview that he had traded in his flip phone for an iPhone 11.
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.
By 2022, Warren Buffett and his son Peter's adopted daughter, Nicole, had reconciled.
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".
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.
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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