Warren Buffett is often called the greatest investor of all time, yet he has lived in the same modest house in Omaha, Nebraska, since 1958. His folksy letters to shareholders, simple rules about money and decades of patient investing have made him one of the most quoted business figures in the world. This Warren Buffett biography follows him from childhood money-making schemes to building Berkshire Hathaway, his long partnership with Charlie Munger and his plan to give away nearly all of his fortune.
Warren Buffett Biography: Fact File
Warren Edward Buffett was born on August 30, 1930, in Omaha, Nebraska. His father, Howard Buffett, was a stockbroker who later served four terms in the US House of Representatives. Warren was the second of three children and grew up during the Great Depression, which shaped his lifelong focus on saving and avoiding debt.
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Warren Edward Buffett |
| Date of birth | August 30, 1930 |
| Birthplace | Omaha, Nebraska, USA |
| Zodiac sign | Virgo |
| Education | University of Nebraska; Columbia Business School |
| Company | Berkshire Hathaway (chairman; CEO from 1970 to 2025) |
| Nickname | The Oracle of Omaha |
| Spouses | Susan Thompson Buffett (1952–2004), Astrid Menks (married 2006) |
| Children | Susan, Howard and Peter |
A Boy Who Loved Numbers
Buffett showed an unusual interest in money from a very young age. As a child he sold chewing gum, bottles of Coca-Cola and weekly magazines door to door. He bought his first shares at 11, purchasing three shares of Cities Service preferred stock, and later said his biggest regret was not starting even earlier. As a teenager in Washington, D.C., where his father served in Congress, he delivered newspapers, placed pinball machines in barbershops with a friend and bought a small farm with his savings.
By the time he finished high school he had saved thousands of dollars, a large sum for a teenager in the 1940s. He initially did not want to go to college at all, believing he could learn more by investing on his own.
Early Warren Buffett Biography Milestones
- 1930: born in Omaha, Nebraska.
- 1941: buys his first stock at age 11.
- 1950: graduates from the University of Nebraska.
- 1951: earns a master’s degree from Columbia under Benjamin Graham.
- 1956: starts his first investment partnership in Omaha.
Learning from Benjamin Graham
After studying at the Wharton School and graduating from the University of Nebraska, Buffett read The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham and called it the best book about investing ever written. He enrolled at Columbia Business School specifically to study under Graham, the father of value investing, who taught that investors should buy stocks for less than their real worth and keep a “margin of safety.” Buffett later worked for Graham’s firm in New York before returning to Omaha.
The Buffett Partnership and Berkshire Hathaway
In 1956 Buffett started an investment partnership with money from family and friends. Its returns far outpaced the market. In the early 1960s he began buying shares of Berkshire Hathaway, a struggling textile company in New England, and took control of it in 1965. The textile business kept declining, but Buffett turned Berkshire into a holding company that bought insurance businesses and used their cash to invest in other companies.
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1965 | Takes control of Berkshire Hathaway |
| 1967 | Buys National Indemnity, starting the insurance engine |
| 1972 | Acquires See’s Candies |
| 1988 | Begins building a major stake in Coca-Cola |
| 1996 | Completes the purchase of GEICO |
| 2010 | Acquires the railroad BNSF |
| 2016 | Starts investing heavily in Apple |
| 2025 | Announces he will hand the CEO role to Greg Abel |
The Partnership with Charlie Munger
Charlie Munger, a lawyer from Omaha who lived in California, became Buffett’s closest business partner and vice chairman of Berkshire. Munger pushed Buffett to move beyond Graham’s strategy of buying cheap, mediocre companies and to focus on buying great businesses at fair prices. Together they hosted Berkshire’s annual meetings in Omaha, which became famous for hours of question-and-answer sessions and drew tens of thousands of shareholders. Munger died in November 2023, a month before his 100th birthday.
Investing Principles
Buffett’s approach is famously simple. He invests in businesses he understands, with durable competitive advantages and honest, capable managers, and he prefers to hold them for decades. His annual letters to Berkshire shareholders, written in plain English and full of humor, are studied by investors worldwide.
Rules That Run Through the Warren Buffett Biography
- “Rule number one: never lose money. Rule number two: never forget rule number one.”
- Buy wonderful companies at fair prices rather than fair companies at wonderful prices.
- Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful.
- Most people are better off with low-cost index funds than with stock picking.
Mistakes He Admits
Part of Buffett’s appeal is his willingness to talk about his errors. He has called the purchase of Berkshire Hathaway itself one of his worst decisions, because he spent years trying to save a dying textile business out of stubbornness. He has admitted overpaying for Dexter Shoe, a company that later collapsed, using Berkshire stock that would have been worth billions. He also says he missed early opportunities in companies such as Google and Amazon because he did not understand their businesses well enough. In his letters he often discusses these mistakes in detail, arguing that honest reflection is essential to improving.
The Annual Meeting
Berkshire Hathaway’s annual shareholder meeting in Omaha has been nicknamed “Woodstock for Capitalists.” Tens of thousands of people travel to Nebraska each spring to hear Buffett answer questions for hours about investing, business and life. The event includes a shopping exhibition featuring products from Berkshire companies, from See’s Candies to Fruit of the Loom underwear. For many investors it is a pilgrimage, and the question-and-answer sessions have become a free education in business thinking.
Succession and Berkshire Today
For years, shareholders wondered who would lead Berkshire after Buffett. In 2021 he confirmed that Greg Abel, head of the company’s non-insurance businesses, would be his successor. At the May 2025 annual meeting, Buffett surprised the audience by announcing that he would step down as chief executive at the end of the year while remaining chairman. Abel took over on January 1, 2026. Berkshire today owns dozens of businesses, including insurance, railroads, energy, manufacturing and retail, and holds large stakes in public companies such as Apple, American Express and Coca-Cola.
Giving It Away
In 2006 Buffett announced that he would give the great majority of his Berkshire shares to charity, much of it to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, in annual installments. In 2010 he and Bill Gates launched the Giving Pledge, asking the world’s richest people to commit at least half of their wealth to philanthropy. Buffett has said that more than 99 percent of his fortune will go to charitable purposes, with large gifts also going to foundations run by his children.
Family Life
Buffett married Susan Thompson in 1952, and they had three children: Susan, Howard and Peter. The couple separated in 1977 but remained married and close until Susan’s death in 2004. Two years later, Buffett married Astrid Menks, his long-time companion. He is known for a simple lifestyle: he still lives in the Omaha house he bought for 31,500 dollars in 1958, enjoys fast food and Cherry Coke, and plays online bridge.
Daily Habits
Buffett has said he spends most of his day reading: annual reports, newspapers and books. He has long kept a relatively empty calendar, preferring time to think over constant meetings. He famously enjoys a simple breakfast from McDonald’s on his drive to work, choosing the item based on how the stock market is doing that morning, and he drinks several cans of Coca-Cola a day. These habits have become part of his public image as a down-to-earth billionaire.
FAQ
How old is Warren Buffett?
He was born on August 30, 1930, so he turned 96 in August 2026.
Why is Warren Buffett called the Oracle of Omaha?
Because of his long investing success and his lifelong home base in Omaha, Nebraska.
When did Buffett take over Berkshire Hathaway?
He gained control of the company in 1965.
Is Warren Buffett still CEO of Berkshire Hathaway?
No. He handed the CEO role to Greg Abel at the start of 2026 and remains chairman.
Who was Charlie Munger?
Munger was Buffett’s business partner and Berkshire’s vice chairman for decades. He died in 2023.
How much of his fortune will Buffett give away?
He has pledged to give more than 99 percent of his wealth to charitable causes.
What was Warren Buffett’s first investment?
At age 11 he bought three shares of Cities Service preferred stock.
Conclusion
Warren Buffett built one of the largest fortunes in history by doing something that sounds simple: buying good businesses and holding them for a very long time. His discipline, humor and modest lifestyle made him a rare billionaire who is admired well beyond Wall Street. As Berkshire Hathaway moves into a new era of leadership, his principles and his commitment to giving his wealth away remain his most lasting legacy, and his letters will keep teaching investors long after he has stepped back.