The Life Of Warren Buffett

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On the 4th of May, billionaire investor and the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett announced his surprise decision to step down from his position at the end of this year. From 2026, Greg Abel will lead the multinational conglomerate. Buffett will stay on as Berkshire’s board chair — but either way it’s the end of an era.

I will not discuss the economic impact of this decision in the USA and across the world. You might have a broad idea about this already. But I take this as an opportunity to make you more aware of what a great personality Warren Buffett is.

Born to Howard Buffett (stockbroker and US Congressman) and Leila Buffett (homemaker) in Omaha, Nebraska, on August 30, 1930, Warren had the entrepreneurial spirit even as a child. He used to sell Coca-Cola, magazines, and chewing gum to make money and bought his first stock at just 11 years of age. Gotta start early!

Buffett graduated with a degree in business administration from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1951. A major influence on Buffett’s investment philosophy was Benjamin Graham, the father of value investing, who taught Buffett at the Columbia Business School for his Master of Science in Economics. It was here that Buffett developed his hallmark investment strategy - buy undervalued companies and hold long.

Buffett first worked at his father’s brokerage company, then with Graham at the Graham-Newman Corporation, and then at several investment firms for the next 5 years.

In 1956, Buffett returned to Omaha and began building his now famous portfolio. This is where the game began!

In 1962, Buffett began buying the shares of a relatively unknown and struggling textile company. Eventually, Buffett gained control of the company in 1965 and began using it as a holding vehicle for a list of profitable businesses. He transformed the textile company into a conglomerate. That company’s name? Berkshire Hathaway.

Between 1965 and 2023, the company's shareholder returns amounted to a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.8% compared to a 10.2% CAGR for the S&P 500. With Berkshire Hathaway, often compared to an investment fund, Buffett has cemented his legacy as one of the greatest investors of all time.

Buffett is one of the leading figures of “value investing” - a long-term strategy based on thorough research, patience, and a focus on intrinsic value rather than market speculation. His strategy has been proven correct a number of times with successful investments in companies like Coca-Cola, American Express, Apple, and more.

In 2008, he became the world’s richest person and is still the world’s 5th richest person in 2025. Despite such enormous wealth, Buffett is known for his humility and modesty. Buffett purchased a house in Omaha in 1958 for $31,500. To this day, Buffett lives in the same house.

His annual salary for Berkshire Hathaway has been a meager $100,000. In terms of salaried income, many software engineers make more than him!

Buffett has a clear plan for his billions after his death. He will be donating 99% of his fortune mostly through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Buffett’s personal values and ethics have seeped into the Berkshire Hathaway culture. Over the years, his annual letters have become a goldmine of investing wisdom. His deep relationships with business partners like Charlie Munger have highlighted a strong human aspect in the world of investments, where people often get lost and lonely in the chase after money.

Since the 1960s, Buffett has been a cultural icon. Being rich and respected for over 65 years is an achievement that almost everyone in the world can only dream about. Buffett has lived that dream.

His annual meetings in Omaha, like the one where he announced his retirement, have become a pilgrimage for investors who come from across the world to listen to the words of wisdom by him and Munger. His speeches are often laced with humour, personal stories, and lessons about integrity in the finance world.

Through his glorious career, Warren Buffett has not only established himself as an immortal symbol of successful investments but also as a man of legendary wisdom, integrity, philanthropy, and humility. The impact of his career will resonate for generations to come.

From a young, curious boy, to the “Oracle of Omaha”, Warren Buffett’s life is proof of the power of education, integrity, and long-term thinking.

The world will struggle to find another man so humble and consistently successful throughout his life.

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