25 Intriguing Facts About Warren Buffet, the ‘Oracle of Omaha’

Warren Buffet is a renowned business leader in the world. While his life seems to be an open book, there are some hard-to-believe facts about Warren Buffet that will astonish you. Often referred to as the “Oracle of Omaha,” Nebraska native Warren Buffett is an investing legend, business magnate and philanthropist. Moreover, he is one of the most successful investors in the world. As a result, he is regarded as a person with immense interest to those who seek to earn a profit from investing as well as getting investment advice.

Although he is a renowned global investor, there is more to Facts about Warren Buffet than his skills as an investor. In fact, he is one of the three billionaires who first signed the ‘Gates-Buffett Giving Pledge’ which is a statement of their intention to donate at least half of their wealth to charitable causes, thus kickstarting a trend among the super-rich. As a result, it could be said that Buffett deserves enormous respect not just for his skills as an investor but also for his efforts to make the world a better place to live in alongside his friend, Bill Gates. In this blog, we have covered some astonishing facts about Warren Buffet, categorized according to every phase of his life.

Facts about Warren Buffet: Early Life

In 1947, Warren graduated from what was then Woodrow Wilson High School where his senior yearbook picture reads: “likes math; a future stockbroker.”
After finishing high school and finding success with his side entrepreneurial and investment ventures, Buffett wanted to skip college to go directly into business but was overruled by his father.
Buffett displayed an interest in business and investing at a young age. He was inspired by a book he borrowed from the Omaha public library at age seven, One Thousand Ways to Make $1000.
Much of Buffett’s early childhood years were enlivened with entrepreneurial ventures. In one of his first business ventures, Buffett sold chewing gum, Coca-Cola bottles, and weekly magazines door to door. He worked in his grandfather’s grocery store.
While still in high school, he made money delivering newspapers, selling golf balls and stamps, and detailing cars, among other means.
On his first income tax return in 1944, Buffett took a $35 deduction for the use of his bicycle and watch on his paper route.
In 1945, as a high school sophomore, Buffett and a friend spent $25 to purchase a used pinball machine, which they placed in the local barbershop. Within months, they owned several machines in three different barbershops across Omaha.
In 1947, Buffett entered the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He would have preferred to focus on his business ventures, but his father pressured him to enroll.
While most 11-year-old boys were playing baseball and reading comic books, Buffett bought stocks.
In the spring of 1942, at 11 years old, Buffett purchased six shares of Cities Service Preferred (now known as CITGO) for $38 apiece.

Facts about Warren Buffet: Investment Career

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When Buffett’s father became a congressman, his family moved from Omaha, Neb. to Washington D.C. and Buffett delivered The Washington Post every morning and brought in about $175 a month (that’s more than most teachers made during that time).
He also pursued a few side gigs such as selling used golf balls and collector stamps and buffing cars. By the time he turned 16, he had amassed the equivalent of $53,000.
After graduating from the University of Nebraska in three years, Buffett applied to Harvard Business School. But during a brief interview with the school that would determine his acceptance, the staff said to Buffett: “Forget it. You’re not going to Harvard.”
After much disappointment from the rejection, Buffett discovered that his idols Benjamin Graham (“the father of value investing”) and David Dodd were professors at Columbia Business School.
Buffett worked from 1951 to 1954 at Buffett-Falk & Co. as an investment salesman; from 1954 to 1956 at Graham-Newman Corp. as a securities analyst; from 1956 to 1969 at Buffett Partnership, Ltd. as a general partner; and from 1970 as Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

Interesting Facts about Warren Buffet and his personal life

In an interview with Fortune, Buffett claimed he is “one-quarter Coca-Cola” — “If I eat 2,700 calories a day, a quarter of that is Coca-Cola. I drink at least five 12-ounce servings. I do it every day.“
For breakfast, Buffett often frequents McDonald’s for a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit if the market is up, or an austere two sauage patties if the market is down. On most days, Buffett will visit his beloved Dairy Queen for an ice cream dessert.
When asked how he’s managed to stay healthy with such a salty and sugary diet, he said, “I checked the actuarial tables, and the lowest death rate is among 6-year-olds. So I decided to eat like a 6-year-old.”
Buffett has lived in the same Omaha house since 1958 that he originally bought for $31,500. The house is a simple five-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom house.
Since 2000, Buffett has held an annual fundraiser, auctioning off a charity lunch with him on eBay. In 2019, an anonymous bidder was so eager to sit down with Buffett, that they placed a bid of $4.57 million to have lunch with him.
In 2013, Buffett earned $37 million a day.
Buffett owns close to 20 suits, all made by the same designer — Madam Lee, but has never paid for any.
From the moment he wakes up, Buffett has his nose in a newspaper. In fact, he estimates that he spends around 80 percent of his day reading.
Buffett, whose holdings include Dairy Queen, treats a group of 12 kids — usually his grandchildren and their friends — to DQ every Sunday, he shared with Joe Kernan on CNBC’s Squawk Box.
As a fan of the hit TV show Breaking Bad, Buffett dressed up as the show’s Water White—a.k.a. Heisenberg—back in 2013.