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, serving as the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. Renowned for his investment acumen, he's considered one of America's most prominent investors. As of May 2025, his estimated net worth of $160.2 billion ranks him as the fifth-richest person globally.

Sections (7)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals Legacy & Impact

August 30, 1930: Warren Buffett's Birth

On August 30, 1930, Warren Edward Buffett was born in Omaha, Nebraska. He is now an American investor and philanthropist and serves as the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway.

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1942: Father Elected to Congress

In 1942, Warren Buffett's father was elected to the first of four terms in the United States Congress, leading the family to move to Washington, D.C.

1944: First Income Tax Return Deduction

In 1944, Warren Buffett, on his first income tax return, took a $35 deduction for the use of his bicycle and watch on his paper route.

1945: Pinball Machine Business

In 1945, Warren Buffett and a friend bought a used pinball machine for $25 and placed it in a barber shop, eventually owning several machines before selling the business for $1,200.

1947: Matriculated at Wharton School

In 1947, Warren Buffett began studies at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, but enrolled due to pressure from his father.

1947: Graduated High School

In 1947, Warren Buffett graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in Washington, D.C.

1949: Ukulele Purchase

In 1949, Warren Buffett purchased a ukulele to impress a girl. Though unsuccessful in winning her over, this sparked a lifelong interest in the instrument that led to his marriage with Susan Thompson.

1950: Rejected by Harvard Business School

In the spring of 1950, Warren Buffet was rejected by Harvard Business School.

1951: Graduated from Columbia

In 1951, Warren Buffett earned a Master of Science in economics from Columbia Business School of Columbia University.

1951: First Purchase of GEICO Stock

In 1951, Warren Buffett visited GEICO's headquarters and met Lorimer Davidson, GEICO's vice president, which led to Buffett's first purchase of GEICO stock.

1952: Marriage to Susan Thompson

In 1952, Warren Buffett married Susan Thompson at Dundee Presbyterian Church, marking a significant milestone in his personal life.

1954: Birth of Son Howard

In 1954, Warren Buffett and his wife Susan welcomed their second child, a son named Howard, expanding their family.

1956: Created Buffett Partnership Ltd.

In 1956, Warren Buffett created Buffett Partnership Ltd. after working at Graham-Newman Corp. as a securities analyst.

1958: Birth of Son Peter

In 1958, Warren Buffett and his wife Susan had their third child, a son named Peter, further completing their family.

1958: Purchase of Omaha Home

In 1958, Warren Buffett purchased a five-bedroom stucco house in Omaha for $31,500, where he still resides.

1961: Investment in Sanborn Map Company

In 1961, Warren Buffett revealed that 35% of his partnership's assets were invested in the Sanborn Map Company and purchased 23% of the company's outstanding shares, eventually obtaining a seat on the board of directors.

1965: Took Control of Berkshire Hathaway

In 1965, Warren Buffett's partnerships began purchasing Berkshire Hathaway shares aggressively, paying $14.86 per share, and Buffett took control of Berkshire Hathaway at a board meeting.

1970: Became Chairman and Majority Shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway

In 1970, Warren Buffett emerged as the chairman and majority shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway, a textile manufacturing firm his investment firm acquired.

1970: Buffett Presided as Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway

Since 1970, Warren Buffett has presided as the chairman and largest shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway.

1971: Purchase of Vacation Home in Laguna Beach

In 1971, Warren Buffett purchased a vacation home in Laguna Beach, California, for $150,000.

1977: Separation from Susan

In 1977, Warren Buffett and his wife Susan began living separately, though they remained married until her death.

1977: Astrid Menks Moves In

In 1977, after Susan Buffett moved to San Francisco to pursue her singing career, Astrid Menks moved in with Warren Buffett.

1985: Sold Last of Textile Mills

In 1985, Warren Buffett sold the last of the textile mills that had been the core business of Berkshire Hathaway.

1989: Purchase of Private Jet

In 1989, Warren Buffett purchased a private jet for nearly $6.7 million and named it "The Indefensible," later renamed "The Indispensable".

1999: Sale of Private Jet

Prior to mid-1999, Warren Buffett sold the private jet named "The Indefensible" and began utilizing Berkshire's flight services.

2000: Comparison of Inheritance Tax to Olympic Team Selection

In 2020, Buffett stated that repealing inheritance tax would be like "choosing the 2020 Olympic team by picking the eldest sons of the gold-medal winners in the 2000 Olympics".

2003: Financial Advisor to Arnold Schwarzenegger

In 2003, Warren Buffett served as a financial advisor to Republican candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger during the California gubernatorial election.

July 2004: Death of Susan Buffett

In July 2004, Susan Buffett, Warren Buffett's wife, passed away, marking the end of their marriage.

June 2006: Buffett Announces Charitable Giving

In June 2006, Buffett announced that he would gradually donate 85% of his Berkshire holdings to five foundations, with the largest portion going to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, starting in July 2006.

July 2006: Start of Charitable Donations

Starting in July 2006, Warren Buffett began gradually giving away 85% of his Berkshire holdings to five foundations in annual gifts of stock, with the largest contribution going to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

December 2006: Tech Habits

In December 2006, it was reported that Warren Buffett did not carry a mobile phone or have a computer at his desk and drove his own Cadillac DTS.

2006: Remarks on Tax Fairness

In 2006, Buffett stated that he paid only 19% of his income in federal taxes, while his employees paid 33%, despite earning much less. He questioned the fairness of this situation, stating, "There's class warfare, all right, but it's my class, the rich class, that's making war, and we're winning."

2006: Disowning of Nicole Buffett

In 2006, Warren Buffett disowned his son Peter's adopted daughter, Nicole, after she participated in a documentary about economic inequality.

2006: Sponsorship of Buffett Cup

In 2006, Warren Buffett sponsored a bridge match called the Buffett Cup, modeled after the Ryder Cup in golf.

2006: Marriage to Astrid Menks

In 2006, on his 76th birthday, Warren Buffett married his longtime companion, Astrid Menks, who had been living with him since 1977.

2007: Support for Bo Pelini Hire

Following the 2007 season, Warren Buffett supported the hire of Bo Pelini as Nebraska's football coach, expressing a need for change.

2007: Testimony on Preserving the Estate Tax

In 2007, Buffett testified before the Senate, urging them to preserve the estate tax to avoid a plutocracy. Some critics argued Berkshire Hathaway benefited from the estate tax in past business dealings and had developed and marketed insurance policies to protect policy holders against future estate tax payments.

July 2, 2008: Fundraiser for Obama Campaign

On July 2, 2008, Warren Buffett attended a $28,500 per plate fundraiser in Chicago for Barack Obama's presidential campaign.

2008: Buffett Becomes Richest Person

In 2008, Warren Buffett became the richest person in the world with a net worth estimated at $62 billion by Forbes and $58 billion by Yahoo, surpassing Bill Gates.

2009: Gates Regains Top Spot on Forbes List

In 2009, Bill Gates regained the top position on the Forbes list of richest people, while Warren Buffett shifted to second place. Both men's values dropped.

2009: Meeting with Billionaires to Discuss Global Issues

In 2009, Warren Buffett met with other billionaires, including Oprah Winfrey, Michael Bloomberg and David Rockefeller Jr., to discuss healthcare, education, and slowing population growth. This group, referred to as "The Good Club", had given away $45 billion to philanthropic causes. Buffett is a long-time supporter of family planning. The Buffett Foundation has given over $1.5 billion to abortion research to include $427 million to Planned Parenthood.

2009: Mention in Ralph Nader's Book

In 2009, Warren Buffett was featured in Ralph Nader's novel, "Only the Super Rich Can Save Us", which depicts him leading a movement of billionaires to improve America.

"Only the Super-Rich Can Save Us!"

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2009: Honorary Assistant Coach

In 2009, Warren Buffett was named an honorary assistant coach and watched the Nebraska game against Oklahoma from the sideline.

2009: Subject of BBC Documentary 'The World's Greatest Money Maker'

In 2009, Warren Buffett was the subject of the BBC production The World's Greatest Money Maker.

2010: Founded the Giving Pledge

In 2010, Warren Buffett founded the Giving Pledge with Bill Gates, encouraging billionaires to donate at least half of their wealth to philanthropic causes.

2010: Cameo in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

In 2010, Warren Buffett made a cameo appearance in the film Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.

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November 2011: Buffett Invests in IBM

In November 2011, it was announced that over the previous eight months, Buffett had bought 64 million shares of International Business Machine Corp (IBM) stock, worth around $11 billion.

April 11, 2012: Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer

On April 11, 2012, Warren Buffett was diagnosed with stage I prostate cancer during a routine test.

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, expressing relief and gratitude.

2013: Use of Nokia Flip Phone and Email Use

In 2013, Warren Buffett had an old Nokia flip phone and had sent only one email in his life.

December 16, 2015: Endorsement of Hillary Clinton

On December 16, 2015, Warren Buffett publicly endorsed Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton for president.

2015: Cameo in Entourage

In 2015, Warren Buffett made a cameo appearance in the TV series Entourage.

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August 1, 2016: Challenge to Donald Trump

On August 1, 2016, Warren Buffett challenged Donald Trump to release his tax returns, increasing scrutiny on the presidential candidate.

October 10, 2016: Release of Tax Return

On October 10, 2016, Warren Buffett released his own tax return after a reference to him in the second presidential debate, revealing he paid $1.85 million in federal income taxes on an adjusted gross income of $11.6 million in 2015.

April 2017: Likeness on Cherry Coke Products

In April 2017, Warren Buffett agreed to have his likeness placed on Cherry Coke products in China without compensation.

2017: Subject of HBO Documentary 'Becoming Warren Buffett'

In 2017, Warren Buffett was the subject of the HBO documentary feature Becoming Warren Buffett.

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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 in 1971 for $150,000.

February 2020: Switch to iPhone 11

In February 2020, Warren Buffett revealed in a CNBC interview that he had traded his flip phone for an iPhone 11.

Apple iPhone 11, 64GB, Black - Unlocked (Renewed)

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2020: Comparison of Inheritance Tax to Olympic Team Selection

In 2020, Buffett stated that repealing inheritance tax would be like "choosing the 2020 Olympic team by picking the eldest sons of the gold-medal winners in the 2000 Olympics".

2020: Decision on Voting for Donald Trump

Warren Buffett stated 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 adopted granddaughter Nicole had reconciled, mending their relationship.

September 2023: Death of Jimmy Buffett

In September 2023, Jimmy Buffett, a longtime friend of Warren Buffett, passed away. The two referred to each other as 'Uncle Warren' and 'Cousin Jimmy' despite not being related by blood.