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, the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, is a highly successful American investor and philanthropist. Renowned for his investment acumen, he is one of the world's most well-known investors. With an estimated net worth of $154.4 billion as of April 5, 2025, Buffett ranks among the wealthiest individuals globally.

Sections (7)

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

August 30, 1930: Warren Buffett Born

On August 30, 1930, Warren Edward Buffett was born. He is an American investor, philanthropist, and 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, prompting the family to move to Washington, D.C.

1944: Took Deduction on 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: Pinball Machine Business

In 1945, Warren Buffett and a friend purchased a used pinball machine and placed it in a local barber shop, later expanding to several machines in different locations 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.

1947: Graduated High School

In 1947, Warren Buffett graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School.

1949: Buffett Buys Ukulele

In 1949, Warren Buffett bought a ukulele in an attempt to impress a young woman. While the attempt was unsuccessful, his interest in the instrument became a key part of his becoming a part of Susan Thompson's life, and led to their marriage.

1950: Rejected by Harvard Business School

After being rejected by Harvard Business School in the spring of 1950, Buffett enrolled at Columbia Business School of Columbia University upon learning that Benjamin Graham taught there.

1951: Worked at Buffett-Falk & Co.

From 1951, Warren Buffett worked as an investment salesman at his father's firm, Buffett-Falk & Co.

1951: First Purchase of GEICO Stock

In 1951, Warren Buffett discovered that Benjamin Graham was on the board of GEICO insurance, met Lorimer Davidson, GEICO's vice president, and made his first purchase of GEICO stock.

1951: Graduated from Columbia

In 1951, Warren Buffett graduated with a Master of Science in economics from Columbia Business School. After graduating, Buffett attended the New York Institute of Finance.

1952: Buffett Marries Susan Thompson

In 1952, Warren Buffett married Susan Thompson at Dundee Presbyterian Church.

1954: Joined Graham-Newman Corp.

From 1954, Warren Buffett worked as a securities analyst at Graham-Newman Corp.

1954: Accepted 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 Howard Buffett

In 1954, Warren Buffett and Susan Thompson had their second child, Howard.

1956: Became General Partner in Investment Partnerships

From 1956, Warren Buffett worked as the general partner at several investment partnerships.

1956: Graham Retired, Buffett Returned to Omaha

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: Operated Three Investment Partnerships

In 1957, Warren Buffett operated three investment partnerships.

1958: Birth of Peter Buffett

In 1958, Warren Buffett and Susan Thompson had their third child, Peter.

1958: Home Purchase

In 1958, Warren Buffett bought a five-bedroom stucco house in Omaha for $31,500, where he continues to reside.

1959: Introduced to Charlie Munger

In 1959, Warren Buffett was introduced to Charlie Munger during a business luncheon.

1965: Took Control of Berkshire Hathaway

In 1965, Warren Buffett's partnerships began aggressively purchasing shares of Berkshire Hathaway, and he took control of the company at a board meeting.

1966: Closed Partnership to New Money

In 1966, Warren Buffett closed the partnership to new money.

1967: Berkshire Paid First Dividend

In 1967, Berkshire Hathaway paid out its first and only dividend of 10 cents.

1969: Liquidated Partnership

In 1969, Warren Buffett liquidated the partnership and transferred their assets to his partners, including shares of Berkshire Hathaway.

1969: General Partner in Investment Partnerships

Until 1969, Warren Buffett worked as the general partner at several investment partnerships.

1970: Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway

From 1970, Warren Buffett worked as chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

1970: Became Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway

In 1970, Warren Buffett emerged as the chairman and majority shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway.

1971: Vacation Home Purchase

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

1973: Berkshire Acquired Stock in Washington Post

In 1973, Berkshire began to acquire stock in the Washington Post Company.

1977: Susan Buffett moves to San Francisco

In 1977, Susan Buffett moved to San Francisco to pursue her singing career. Astrid Menks started living with Warren Buffett around this time.

1977: Buffetts Begin Living Separately

In 1977, Warren Buffett and Susan Thompson began living separately, although they remained married.

1979: Berkshire acquired stock in ABC

In 1979, Berkshire began to acquire stock in ABC.

March 18, 1985: Capital Cities Purchased ABC

On March 18, 1985, Capital Cities announced a $3.5 billion purchase of ABC, and Warren Buffett helped finance the deal in return for a 25% stake in the combined company.

1985: Sold Mills of Berkshire Hathaway

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

1987: Berkshire Hathaway Purchased Stake in Salomon Inc.

In 1987, Berkshire Hathaway purchased a 12% stake in Salomon Inc., making it the largest shareholder and Buffett a director.

1988: Bought The 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.

1989: Private Jet Purchase

In 1989, Warren Buffett spent nearly $6.7 million on a private jet, initially naming it "The Indefensible", later renaming it "The Indispensable."

1999: Private Jet Sale

Prior to mid-1999, Warren Buffett sold his private jet and has since then typically utilized Berkshire's flight services businesses.

2002: Involved with AIG

In 2002, General Re provided reinsurance after Warren Buffett became involved with Maurice R. Greenberg at AIG.

2003: Financial Advisor to 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 first wife, passed away.

June 2006: Buffett Announces Charitable Giving

In June 2006, Warren Buffett announced his plan to 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. This was one of the largest philanthropic contributions of all time.

July 2006: Start of Charitable Stock Gifts

In July 2006, Warren Buffett began annual gifts of stock to five foundations, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, as part of his commitment to give away 85% of his Berkshire holdings.

December 2006: Tech Preferences

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

2006: Bridge Match Sponsorship

In 2006, Warren Buffett sponsored a bridge match known as the Buffett Cup, which was modeled after the Ryder Cup in golf.

2006: Buffett Marries Astrid Menks

In 2006, on his 76th birthday, Warren Buffett married his longtime companion, Astrid Menks. She had lived with him since his wife's departure to San Francisco in 1977.

2006: Federal Tax Rate Disparity

Warren Buffet stated that he only paid 19% of his income for 2006 in total federal taxes, while his employees paid 33% of theirs.

2007: Supported Football Coach Hire

Following the 2007 season, Warren Buffett supported the hiring of Bo Pelini as the Nebraska football coach.

July 2, 2008: Obama Campaign Fundraiser

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

2009: Gates Regains Top Spot on Forbes List

In 2009, Bill Gates regained the top position on the Forbes list of the world's wealthiest people, while Warren Buffett shifted to second place. Forbes reported that Buffett's net worth decreased by $25 billion over a 12-month period from 2008 to 2009.

2009: Atul Gawande's Article Consideration

In 2009, Warren Buffett cited Atul Gawande's article in the New Yorker as a useful consideration of US health care, highlighting unwarranted variation in Medicare expenditures.

2009: "The Good Club" meeting

In 2009, Warren Buffett met with several other billionaires, including Oprah Winfrey, Michael Bloomberg and David Rockefeller, Jr. to discuss healthcare, education and slowing population growth, in what was dubbed "The Good Club".

2009: Honorary Assistant Coach

In 2009, Warren Buffett was named an honorary assistant coach and watched the game against Oklahoma from the Nebraska sideline. Buffett was also elected to the American Philosophical Society in 2009.

2009: Subject of BBC Production 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, 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.

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2010: Views on US Healthcare Costs

In 2010, Warren Buffett said that it was not sustainable for the U.S. to devote 17% of its GDP to healthcare expenditure.

2011: Newspaper Acquisition

Warren Buffett's company acquired the Omaha World Herald newspaper in 2011, which he reads daily.

April 11, 2012: Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

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 a full 44-day radiation treatment cycle for prostate cancer.

2013: Phone and Email Habits

In 2013, Warren Buffett had an old Nokia flip phone and had sent only 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: Cameo in Entourage

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

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August 1, 2016: Tax Return Challenge to 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, Warren Buffett released his own tax return, reporting he paid $1.85 million in federal income taxes on an adjusted gross income of $11.6 million.

April 2017: Likeness on Cherry Coke

In April 2017, Warren Buffett allowed his likeness to be used 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 Becoming Warren Buffett.

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2018: Preferred Search Engine

At Berkshire Hathaway's 2018 shareholder meeting, Warren Buffett stated that he uses Google as his preferred search engine.

2018: Vacation Home Sale

In 2018, Warren Buffett sold his vacation home in Laguna Beach, California, for $7.5 million.

February 2020: iPhone Acquisition

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

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

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2020: Potential Vote for Trump

Warren Buffett stated he would evaluate President Donald Trump based on national safety, economic growth, and economic participation to decide if he would vote for him in the 2020 presidential election.