Warren Buffett is a highly successful American investor and philanthropist, serving as the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. Renowned for his investment acumen, Buffett is globally recognized as one of the foremost investors. As of February 17, 2025, Forbes estimates his net worth at $149.6 billion, positioning him as the seventh wealthiest person worldwide.
On August 30, 1930, Warren Edward Buffett was born in Omaha, Nebraska. He would later become a renowned investor and philanthropist.
In 1942, Howard Buffett, Warren's father, was elected to the United States Congress, leading the family to move to Washington, D.C.
In 1944, Warren Buffett filed his first income tax return, claiming a $35 deduction for his bicycle and watch used on his paper route.
In 1945, Warren Buffett and a friend purchased a used pinball machine for $25 and started a business, eventually owning machines in three barber shops before selling the business to a war veteran for $1,200.
In 1947, Warren Buffett enrolled at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, influenced by his father's encouragement, and joined the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity.
In 1947, Warren Buffett graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School, with his yearbook noting his interest in math and future as a stockbroker.
In 1949, Warren Buffett developed a crush on a young woman and, in an attempt to compete with her boyfriend, bought a ukulele. His music interest became a key part of his becoming a part of Susan Thompson's life, and led to their marriage.
In the spring of 1950, Warren Buffett was rejected by Harvard Business School.
From 1951, Warren Buffett worked as an investment salesman at his father's firm, Buffett-Falk & Co.
In 1951, Warren Buffett discovered Benjamin Graham's involvement with GEICO insurance, leading him to visit GEICO's headquarters and meet Lorimer Davidson, resulting in Buffett's first purchase of GEICO stock.
In 1951, Warren Buffett graduated with a Bachelor of Science in business administration from the University of Nebraska and earned a Master of Science in economics from Columbia Business School. He was influenced by Benjamin Graham.
In 1952, Warren Buffett married Susan Thompson at Dundee Presbyterian Church.
From 1954, Warren Buffett worked as a securities analyst at Graham-Newman Corp.
In 1954, Warren Buffett accepted a job at Benjamin Graham's partnership with a starting salary of $12,000 a year, working alongside Walter Schloss.
In 1954, Warren Buffett and Susan Thompson had their second child, Howard.
From 1956, Warren Buffett worked as the general partner in several investment partnerships.
In 1956, Benjamin Graham retired and closed his partnership, leading Warren Buffett, with savings over $174,000, to return to Omaha and start a series of investment partnerships.
In 1956, Warren Buffett created Buffett Partnership Ltd. This entity would serve as one of his early investment vehicles.
In 1957, Warren Buffett operated three investment partnerships.
In 1958, Sanborn stock sold for $45 per share, but the company's investment portfolio was worth $65 per share.
In 1958, Warren Buffett and Susan Thompson had their third child, Peter.
In 1958, Warren Buffett purchased a five-bedroom stucco house in Omaha for $31,500, where he still resides as of 2024.
In 1959, Warren Buffett was introduced to Charlie Munger, who would become his future partner, during a business luncheon at The Omaha Club.
In 1961, Warren Buffett revealed that 35% of his partnership's assets were invested in the Sanborn Map Company, leading him to purchase 23% of the company's shares and secure a board seat.
In 1962, Warren Buffett became a millionaire due to the success of his partnerships, which held over $7,178,500. He merged his partnerships into Buffett Partnership, Ltd.
In 1965, Warren Buffett's partnerships aggressively purchased shares of Berkshire Hathaway at $14.86 per share and he took control of the company, naming Ken Chace as president.
In 1966, Warren Buffett closed his partnership to new money, later stating that the textile business had been his worst trade.
In 1967, Berkshire Hathaway paid out its first and only dividend of 10 cents.
In 1969, Warren Buffet ceased being a general partner in his investment partnerships.
In 1969, Warren Buffett liquidated his partnership, transferring assets to his partners, including shares of Berkshire Hathaway. He then lived on a $50,000 salary and outside investment income.
From 1970, Warren Buffett has been the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
In 1970, Warren Buffett became the chairman and majority shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway, transitioning it into a diversified holding company.
Since 1970, Warren Buffett has served as the chairman and largest shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway. This role has solidified his position as a leading figure in the business world.
In 1971, Warren Buffett purchased a vacation home in Laguna Beach, California for $150,000.
In 1973, Berkshire Hathaway began acquiring stock in the Washington Post Company, leading to a friendship between Warren Buffett and Katharine Graham.
In 1974, the SEC opened an investigation into Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway's acquisition of Wesco Financial over possible conflict of interest, but no charges were brought.
Astrid Menks had lived with Warren Buffett since his wife's departure to San Francisco in 1977.
In 1977, Berkshire Hathaway indirectly purchased the Buffalo Evening News for $32.5 million, leading to antitrust charges instigated by its rival, the Buffalo Courier-Express.
In 1977, Warren Buffett and Susan Thompson began living separately, although they remained married.
In 1977, Warren Buffett gave a statement about stocks, gold, farmland and inflation.
In 1978, Charlie Munger joined Warren Buffett as vice-chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, beginning a long-time and successful business association.
In 1982, the Buffalo Courier-Express folded after both it and the Buffalo Evening News experienced financial losses.
On March 18, 1985, Capital Cities announced a $3.5 billion purchase of ABC. Warren Buffett helped finance the deal for a 25% stake in the combined company, Capital Cities/ABC.
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, marking a shift away from the textile industry.
During the RJR Nabisco, Inc., hostile takeover fight in 1987, Warren Buffett was quoted as telling John Gutfreund something important.
In 1987, Berkshire Hathaway purchased a 12% stake in Salomon Inc., making Warren Buffett the largest shareholder and 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, marking one of Berkshire's most lucrative investments.
In 1989, Warren Buffett spent nearly $6.7 million of Berkshire's funds on a private jet, naming it "The Indefensible", later renamed "The Indispensable."
In 1990, a scandal surfaced involving John Gutfreund and Paul Mozer at Salomon Brothers.
In August 1991, John Gutfreund left Salomon Brothers, and Warren Buffett became chairman until the crisis passed.
Speaking at Berkshire Hathaway Inc.'s 1994 annual meeting, Buffett shared his views on investments in tobacco.
In 1998, The Coca-Cola Company peaked at $86, raising questions about the wisdom in keeping some of Berkshire's major holdings, including The Coca-Cola Company.
In 1998, Warren Buffett acquired General Re (Gen Re) as a subsidiary, but it presented challenges due to inadequate underwriting standards.
In 1998, Warren Buffett addressed at Harvard and criticized gold as an investment, basing his critique on its non-productive nature.
In his November 1999 Fortune article, Warren Buffett warned of investors' unrealistic expectations.
In 1999, Warren Buffett was named the Top Money Manager of the Twentieth Century in a survey by the Carson Group.
Prior to mid-1999, Warren Buffett sold the private jet he had previously named "The Indefensible," and has since typically flown with Berkshire's flight services businesses.
In 2006, Warren Buffett auctioned his 2001 Lincoln Town Car on eBay to raise money for Girls, Inc., implying ownership of the car in 2001.
In 2002, Warren Buffett became involved with Maurice R. Greenberg at AIG, after which Gen Re provided reinsurance.
In 2002, Warren Buffett entered into $11 billion worth of forward contracts to deliver U.S. dollars against other currencies.
In 2002, Warren Buffett pledged $50 million to the Nuclear Threat Initiative in Washington, where he began serving as an adviser.
In 2002, the trade deficit prompted Warren Buffett to enter the foreign currency market for the first time.
In 2003, Warren Buffett served as a financial advisor to Republican candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger during the California gubernatorial election.
In July 2004, Warren Buffett's wife, Susan Buffett, passed away. The couple had been separated since 1977 but remained married.
At the 2004 annual meeting, Warren Buffett criticized a bill before the United States Congress regarding company-issued stock options compensation, comparing it to a legislative attempt to change the value of Pi.
In 2004, the bulk of the estate of Warren Buffett's wife, valued at $2.6 billion, went to the Buffett Foundation after her death.
In the company's 2004 annual report, Buffett discussed the difficulties of knowing when to sell, a topic relevant to Berkshire's major holdings.
On March 15, 2005, Maurice R. Greenberg was forced to resign from his position as chairman and CEO of AIG after New York state regulators claimed that AIG had engaged in questionable transactions and improper accounting.
In 2005, Warren Buffett substantially reduced his stake in the foreign currency market as changing interest rates increased the costs of holding currency contracts. Buffett remained bearish on the dollar and looked to acquire companies with foreign revenues.
On February 9, 2006, AIG agreed to pay a $1.6 billion fine following investigations into accounting fraud.
By April 2006, Warren Buffett's total gain on forward contracts to deliver U.S. dollars against other currencies was over $2 billion.
In June 2006, Warren Buffett announced a new plan to give 83% of his fortune to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).
In June 2006, Warren Buffett announced that he would gradually give 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.
On June 23, 2006, Warren Buffett pledged the equivalent of 10 million Berkshire Hathaway Class B shares, worth approximately $30.7 billion, to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, making it the largest charitable donation in history.
In July 2006, Warren Buffett began giving away 85% of his Berkshire holdings to five foundations in annual gifts of stock.
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 Cadillac DTS.
In 2006, Warren Buffett auctioned his 2001 Lincoln Town Car on eBay to raise money for Girls, Inc.
In 2006, Warren Buffett disowned his son Peter's adopted daughter, Nicole, after she participated in the Jamie Johnson documentary The One Percent.
In 2006, Warren Buffett sponsored a bridge match called the Buffett Cup, modeled after the Ryder Cup in golf.
In 2006, Warren Buffett stated that he only paid 19% of his income ($48.1 million) in total federal taxes while his employees paid 33% of theirs.
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.
In 2007, Buffett's PacifiCorp, a subsidiary of his MidAmerican Energy Company, canceled six proposed coal-fired power plants due to pressure from regulators and citizen groups.
In 2007, Warren Buffett announced in a letter to shareholders that he was looking for a younger successor, or perhaps successors, to run his investment business.
In 2007, Warren Buffett auctioned a luncheon with himself, raising $650,100 for the Glide Foundation.
In 2007, Warren Buffett faced criticism during the subprime mortgage crisis, part of the Great Recession, for allocating capital too early, resulting in suboptimal deals.
In 2007, Warren Buffett made a bet with numerous managers that a simple S&P 500 index fund would outperform hedge funds that charge exorbitant fees.
In 2007, Warren Buffett testified before the Senate, advocating for the preservation of the estate tax to prevent the rise of a plutocracy. Some critics argued that Berkshire Hathaway had a vested interest in the continuation of the estate tax. Buffett also stated that government should not be legalizing casinos in 2007.
In 2007, Warren Buffett was listed among Time's 100 Most Influential People in the world.
On July 2, 2008, Warren Buffett attended a $28,500 per plate fundraiser for Barack Obama's presidential campaign in Chicago.
On September 23, 2008, Berkshire Hathaway acquired 10 percent of perpetual preferred stock of Goldman Sachs. Also in 2008, Berkshire Hathaway provided $3 billion for Dow Chemical's takeover of Rohm & Haas, becoming the single largest shareholder in the enlarged group.
In October 2008, USA Today reported that at least 47 books were in print with Buffett's name in the title. Buffett's favorite book is a collection of his essays called The Essays of Warren Buffett.
In October 2008, Warren Buffett agreed to buy General Electric (GE) preferred stock, receiving an option to buy three billion shares of GE stock at $22.25 over the five years following the agreement, and also receiving a 10% dividend.
In October 2008, Warren Buffett invested $230 million for 10% of battery maker BYD Company, which runs a subsidiary of electric automobile manufacturer BYD Auto. This investment reaped over 500% return in less than a year. Previously in 2008, Buffett sold his stake in PetroChina Company Limited.
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.
In 2008, Warren Buffett wrote "Buy American. I am." for an opinion piece published in the New York Times. Also, Buffett called the downturn in the financial sector that started in 2007 "poetic justice".
In 2008, Warren Buffett's total compensation was $175,000, including a base salary of $100,000.
In February 2009, Warren Buffett sold some Procter & Gamble Co. and Johnson & Johnson shares from his personal portfolio.
In March 2009, Warren Buffett said in a cable television interview that the economy had "fallen off a cliff" and people had really changed their habits. He also feared that inflation levels that occurred in the 1970s might re-emerge.
As of June 2009, Berkshire Hathaway was the eighteenth largest corporation in the world, measured by market capitalization in the Financial Times Global 500.
In 2009, Bill Gates regained the top position on the Forbes list, with Warren Buffett shifting to second place. Buffett's net worth dropped to $37 billion.
In 2009, Ralph Nader wrote "Only the Super Rich Can Save Us," a novel featuring Warren Buffett leading a movement of billionaires.
In 2009, Warren Buffett divested his failed investment in ConocoPhillips, saying to his Berkshire investors.
In 2009, Warren Buffett met with other billionaires to discuss healthcare, education, and slowing population growth.
In 2009, Warren Buffett sold shares of Johnson and Johnson, Walmart, and Wells Fargo. This sale was later questioned in a 2023 ProPublica article.
In 2009, Warren Buffett watched a Nebraska game against Oklahoma from the sideline as an honorary assistant coach and was elected to the American Philosophical Society.
In 2009, after donating billions to charity, Warren Buffett was ranked as the second richest man in the United States, with a net worth of $37 billion.
Warren Buffett cited Atul Gawande's 2009 article in the New Yorker as a useful consideration of US health care.
In June 2010, Buffett defended the credit-rating agencies for their role in the US financial crisis.
On December 9, 2010, Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg signed the "Gates-Buffett Giving Pledge", promising to donate at least half of their wealth to charity.
In 2010, Warren Buffett and Bill Gates founded the Giving Pledge, encouraging billionaires to donate at least half of their wealth to philanthropic causes.
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, noting that many other nations spent a much smaller proportion of their GDP on health expenditures, with better healthcare outcomes.
In 2010, Warren Buffett, along with Bill Gates, was named the most influential global thinker in Foreign Policy's report.
In 2010, the U.S. government agreed to a $92 million settlement with Gen Re, allowing the Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary to avoid prosecution in the AIG case. Gen Re also made corporate governance concessions.
On March 18, 2011, Goldman Sachs was given Federal Reserve approval to buy back Berkshire's preferred stock in Goldman.
In November 2011, Warren Buffett bought 64 million shares of International Business Machine Corp (IBM) stock, worth around $11 billion, raising his stake in the company to around 5.5 percent.
In 2011, President Barack Obama awarded Warren Buffett the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
In 2011, Warren Buffett's company acquired the Omaha World Herald, a newspaper he reads daily.
On April 11, 2012, Warren Buffett was diagnosed with stage I prostate cancer during a routine test.
In May 2012, Warren Buffett stated he avoided buying stock in high-technology companies like Facebook and Google due to their complexity and difficulty in estimating their future value. He also advised that initial public offerings (IPOs) of new stock issues are almost always bad investments.
In May 2012, Warren Buffett's acquisition of Media General, consisting of 63 newspapers in the south-eastern U.S., was announced.
On September 15, 2012, Warren Buffett announced that he had completed a full 44-day radiation treatment cycle.
In 2012, Warren Buffett sold shares of Johnson and Johnson, Walmart, and Wells Fargo. This sale was later questioned in a 2023 ProPublica article.
At the Berkshire shareholders meeting in May 2013, Warren Buffett explained that he did not expect to "move the needle" at Berkshire with newspaper acquisitions, but he anticipates an annual return of 10 percent.
On July 18, 2013, Interim publisher James W. Hopson announced that the Press of Atlantic City would be sold to Buffett's BH Media Group by ABARTA.
As of September 2013, Warren Buffett's net worth had risen to $58.5 billion.
In late September 2013, during a presentation to Georgetown University students, Warren Buffett compared the U.S. Federal Reserve to a hedge fund and advocated further on the issue of wealth equality in society.
On December 9, 2013, Berkshire Hathaway purchased shares in USG Corporation, which they failed to report in time.
In 2013, Warren Buffett used an old Nokia flip phone and had only sent one email in his entire life.
On August 14, 2014, the price of Berkshire Hathaway's shares hit $200,000 a share for the first time, capitalizing the company at $328 billion.
On August 20, 2014, Berkshire Hathaway was fined $896,000 for failing to report as required the December 9, 2013 purchase of shares in USG Corporation.
On December 16, 2015, Warren Buffett endorsed Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton for president.
In 2015, Warren Buffett made a cameo appearance in the TV program Entourage.
On August 1, 2016, Warren Buffett challenged Donald Trump to release his tax returns.
On October 10, 2016, Warren Buffett released his own tax return, reporting that he paid $1.85 million in federal income taxes in 2015 on an adjusted gross income of $11.6 million.
In April 2017, Warren Buffett agreed to have his likeness placed on Cherry Coke products in China without compensation.
By 2017, the index fund was outperforming every hedge fund that made the bet against Warren Buffett.
In 2017, Warren Buffett was the subject of the HBO documentary feature Becoming Warren Buffett.
At Berkshire Hathaway's shareholder meeting in 2018, Warren Buffett stated he uses Google as his preferred search engine.
In 2018, Warren Buffett sold his vacation home in Laguna Beach for $7.5 million.
In 2018, after making almost $3.4 billion in donations, Warren Buffett was ranked 3rd in the Forbes' List of Billionaires.
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 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.
In a June 2021 interview with CNBC, Warren Buffett stated that the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic increased economic inequality, noting the negative impact on small businesses. He also said that the markets and the economy would likely be unpredictable well into the post-pandemic recovery period.
On June 23, 2021, Warren Buffett announced his resignation as a trustee of the Gates Foundation.
In November 2022, Warren Buffett donated $750 million in Berkshire Hathaway shares to four charitable foundations run by his children.
By 2022, Warren Buffett and his son Peter's adopted daughter Nicole had reconciled.
Warren Buffett's longtime friend, singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett, died in September 2023. They often referred to each other as "Uncle Warren" and "Cousin Jimmy".
A 2023 ProPublica article based on leaked IRS data alleged that Warren Buffett made equity trades in his personal portfolio involving companies that Berkshire Hathaway bought or sold during the same quarter or the quarter before, raising concerns about conflicts of interest.
As of 2023, Warren Buffett has given over $50 billion to charitable causes.
As of 2024, the US$31,500 Buffett paid for his home in 1958 is equivalent to $352,658.
In February 2025, Forbes estimated Warren Buffett's net worth at US$149.6 billion, ranking him as the seventh richest individual globally.
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