Birth
On August 30, 1930, Buffett was born in Omaha, Nebraska, the second of three children and the only son of Leila (née Stahl) and Congressman Howard Buffett.
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History of Warren Buffett
Saturday Aug 30, 1930 to Present
Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Warren Edward Buffett (born August 30, 1930) is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist, who is the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway.
Education
Buffett began his education at Rose Hill Elementary School in 1942.
Woodrow Wilson High
Buffett graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1947.
Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
Buffett entered the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1947.
Graduation
Buffett graduated from the University of Nebraska at the age of 19.
Columbia Business School
Buffett went on to graduate from Columbia Business School, where he molded his investment philosophy around the concept of value investing in 1951.
Marriage
In 1952, Buffett married Susan Thompson at Dundee Presbyterian Church.
First Child
In July 30, 1953, Buffett and Susan Thompson had their first child, Susan Alice.
Graham-Newman Corp
Buffett worked as an investment salesman; from 1954 to 1956 at Graham-Newman Corp.
Second Child
In December 16, 1954, Buffett and Susan Thompson had their second child, Howard Graham.
Buffett Partnership
Buffett created Buffett Partnership, Ltd in 1956.
A Securities Analyst at Buffett Partnership
Buffett worked as a securities analyst; from 1956 to 1969 at Buffett Partnership, Ltd.
Third Child
In May 4, 1958, the Buffetts' third child, Peter Andrew, was born.
Seven Partnerships
By 1960, Buffett operated seven partnerships.
The Sanborn Map Company
In 1961, Buffett revealed that 35% of the partnership's assets were invested in the Sanborn Map Company.
A Millionaire
In 1962, Buffett became a millionaire because of his partnerships.
Berkshire Hathaway
Buffett's firm acquired a textile manufacturing firm called Berkshire Hathaway, assuming its name to create a diversified holding company.
Buffett Closed the Partnership
In 1966, Buffett closed the partnership to new money.
The Chairman
Buffett has been the chairman and largest shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway since 1970.
The Washington Post Company
In 1973, Berkshire began to acquire stock in The Washington Post Company (Now, Graham Holdings Company).
Friendship With Katharine Graham
Buffett became close friends with Katharine Graham, who controlled the company (The Washington Post Company) and its flagship newspaper, and joined its board.
Charlie Munger Joined Buffett
In 1978, Charlie Munger joined Buffett and became vice chairman of the company.
The Mills was Sold
In 1985, the last of the mills that had been the core business of Berkshire Hathaway was sold.
The Insurance Sector
Buffett moved the business into the insurance sector.
Salomon Inc.
In 1987, Berkshire Hathaway purchased a 12% stake in Salomon Inc., making it the largest shareholder and Buffett a director.
The Coca-Cola Company
In 1988, Buffett began buying The Coca-Cola Company stock, eventually purchasing up to 7% of the company for $1.02 billion.
A Billionaire
Buffett became a billionaire when Berkshire Hathaway began selling class A shares on May 29, 1990.
General Reinsurance Corporation(Gen Re)
In 1998 Buffett acquired General Re (Gen Re) as a subsidiary in a deal that presented difficulties—according to the Rational Walk investment website, "underwriting standards proved to be inadequate," while a "problematic derivatives book" was resolved after numerous years and a significant loss.
Forward Contracts
In 2002, Buffett entered in $11 billion worth of forward contracts to deliver U.S. dollars against other currencies.
Currency Market
The trade deficit induced Buffett to enter the foreign currency market for the first time in 2002.
His wife died
Buffett's wife (Susan Buffett) died on July 29, 2004.
Marriage Again
In 2006, on his 76th birthday, Buffett married his longtime companion, Astrid Menks, who was then 60 years old—she had lived with him since his wife's departure to San Francisco in 1977.
Buffett's 2001 Lincoln Town Car
In 2006, Buffett auctioned his 2001 Lincoln Town Car on eBay to raise money for Girls, Inc.
Total Gain on Forward Contracts
By April 2006, his total gain on these contracts (forward contracts) was over $2 billion.
Charity
In June 2006, Buffett announced that he gradually would give away 85% of his Berkshire holdings to five foundations in annual gifts of stock, the largest contribution would go to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Looking for a Successor
In 2007, in a letter to shareholders, Buffett announced that he was looking for a younger successor, or perhaps successors, to run his investment business.
The Richest Man in the World
In 2008, Buffett became the richest person in the world, with a total net worth estimated at $62 billion.
Obama's Campaign
On July 2, 2008, Buffett attended a $28,500 per plate fundraiser for Obama's campaign in Chicago.
BYD Company
In October 2008, Buffett invested $230 million for 10% of battery maker BYD Company, which runs a subsidiary of electric automobile manufacturer BYD Auto. In less than one year, the investment reaped over 500% return.
General Electric Company (GE)
In October 2008, the media reported that Buffett had agreed to buy General Electric (GE) preferred stock.
Swiss Reinsurance Company Ltd (Swiss Re)
In 2009, Buffett invested $2.6 billion as a part of Swiss Re's campaign to raise equity capital.
Burlington Northern Santa Fe, LLC
In 2009, Buffett acquired Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp for $34 billion in cash and stock.
The World's Greatest Money Maker
Buffett was the subject of the BBC production The World's Greatest Money Maker (2009).
Buffett Sold Some Procter & Gamble Co. Shares
In February 2009, Buffett sold some Procter & Gamble Co. shares from his personal portfolio.
The Giving Pledge
On December 9, 2010, Buffett, Bill Gates, and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg signed a promise they called the "Gates-Buffett Giving Pledge", in which they promise to donate to charity at least half of their wealth, and invite other wealthy people to follow suit.
Presidential Medal of Freedom
In 2011, President Barack Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
International Business Machines Corporation (IBM)
In November 2011, it was announced that over the course of the previous eight months, Buffett had bought 64 million shares of International Business Machine Corp (IBM) stock, worth around $11 billion.
Renewable Energy
In December 2011, Buffett's MidAmerican Energy Holdings agreed to buy a $2 billion solar energy project under development in California and a 49 percent stake in a $1.8 billion plant in Arizona, his first investments in solar power. He already owned wind farms.
Prostate Cancer
On April 11, 2012, Buffett was diagnosed with stage I prostate cancer during a routine test.
Media General
In May 2012, Buffett acquisition of Media General, consisting of 63 newspapers in the south-eastern U.S..
Technology
In May 2012, Buffett said he had avoided buying stock in new social media companies such as Facebook and Google because it is hard to estimate future value.
Treatment Cycle
On September 15, 2012, Buffett announced that he had completed the full 44-day radiation treatment cycle.
Hillary Clinton
On December 16, 2015, Buffett endorsed Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton for president.
Buffett Challenged Trump
On August 1, 2016, Buffett challenged Donald Trump to release his tax returns.
Buffett's Tax Return
On October 10, 2016, after another reference to him in the 2nd 2016 presidential debate, Buffett released his own tax return.
Becoming Warren Buffett
Buffett was the subject of the HBO documentary feature Becoming Warren Buffett (2017).
3rd in List of Billionaire 2018
In 2018, after making almost $3.4 billion donations, Buffett was ranked 3rd in the Forbes' List of Billionaire 2018.
Buffett's Worst Investment in China
In May 2018, BYD's shares had a substantial fall with a total net investment loss of $9 billion. This was Buffett's worst investment in China.
Buffett Sold Some Johnson & Johnson Shares
In February 2009, Buffett sold some Johnson & Johnson shares from his personal portfolio.