Known as the "Oracle of Omaha," Warren Buffett is one of the most famous investors in history. Born on August 30, 1930, Warren Buffett is 96 years old. Over six decades, he turned a struggling New England textile company, Berkshire Hathaway, into one of the most valuable conglomerates in the world, compounding shareholder wealth at a rate that made him a legend of value investing. His folksy wisdom at Berkshire's annual shareholder meetings made him a global celebrity in the business world.
Quick Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Warren Edward Buffett |
| Born | August 30, 1930 |
| Age | 96 |
| Birthplace | Omaha, Nebraska, USA |
| Occupation | Investor, philanthropist, Berkshire Hathaway director |
| Nationality | American |
| Height | Reported at approximately 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) |
| Spouse/Partner | Astrid Menks (married 2006); first wife Susan Thompson (1952–2004, her death) |
| Children | 3 (Susan Alice, Howard Graham, Peter) |
| Estimated Net Worth | Estimated at $144 billion, according to Forbes (Forbes 400, 2026) |
Early Life and Career
Warren Edward Buffett was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on August 30, 1930, the middle child of stockbroker and later U.S. Congressman Howard Buffett and his wife Leila. From a young age he showed an unusual fascination with money and numbers. As a child he sold chewing gum, Coca-Cola bottles, and magazines door to door around his neighborhood. At age 11, he bought his first shares of stock, Cities Service Preferred, and as a teenager he ran a paper route and invested the profits in pinball machines and a 40-acre Nebraska farm.
After graduating from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Buffett studied under the legendary investor Benjamin Graham at Columbia Business School, where he earned a master's degree in economics. Graham's philosophy of "value investing" — buying good businesses at prices below their true worth — shaped Buffett's entire career. He worked briefly for Graham's partnership in New York before returning to Omaha in 1956 to start Buffett Partnership Ltd., an investment partnership that delivered spectacular returns through the 1960s.
In 1962, Buffett began buying shares of Berkshire Hathaway, a struggling textile manufacturer based in Massachusetts. After a dispute with the company's management over a share-tender offer, he bought control of the company in 1965 instead of selling out — a move he later joked was the worst business deal he ever made, given the dying textile business. But it became his permanent holding vehicle. Buffett gradually wound down the textile operations (closed in 1985) and used the company's cash to buy insurance companies like National Indemnity and GEICO, railroads, utilities, and stakes in beloved American brands such as Coca-Cola and American Express.
Under Buffett's leadership, Berkshire Hathaway's per-share market value compounded at roughly 19.7% a year from 1965 through 2025, vastly outpacing the S&P 500's 10.5% annual return over the same span. In 2024, Berkshire became the first U.S. company outside the technology sector to reach a $1 trillion market value. Buffett's annual letters to shareholders became required reading for investors worldwide, and his plainspoken aphorisms — "be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful" — made him the world's most quoted investor.
A defining moment came at Berkshire's annual shareholder meeting in May 2025, when Buffett announced he would recommend that his longtime lieutenant Greg Abel become chief executive officer at year-end. The transition happened as planned: Abel officially took over as CEO on January 1, 2026, ending Buffett's more than 55-year run in that job. Then on September 18, 2026, Buffett stepped down as chairman and was named chairman emeritus, with his eldest son Howard Buffett elected as the new chairman. Buffett remains a Berkshire director, offering his judgment and perspective, but the operating leadership now belongs to Abel, who has already reshaped the portfolio — including building a large stake in Alphabet — in his first months in charge.
Buffett has also been one of history's greatest philanthropists. In 2006 he pledged to give away more than 99% of his fortune, much of it through the Gates Foundation and his children's foundations, and he co-founded the Giving Pledge with Bill and Melinda Gates to encourage other billionaires to do the same.
Personal Life
Warren Buffett married Susan Thompson, a Nebraska native and cabaret singer, in 1952. They had three children together: Susan Alice (born 1953), Howard Graham (born 1954), and Peter (born 1958). Though the couple lived apart from the late 1970s onward — Susan moved to San Francisco to pursue her music career while Buffett stayed in Omaha — they never divorced and remained on good terms, even jointly signing holiday cards with Buffett's longtime companion Astrid Menks. Susan died of cancer in 2004.
In 2006, on his 76th birthday, Buffett married Astrid Menks, a Latvian-born Omaha resident whom Susan herself had introduced to him years earlier. They remain married and continue to live in Omaha. Despite his vast wealth, Buffett is famous for his modest lifestyle: he has lived in the same Omaha house he bought in 1958 for $31,500, and he eats at McDonald's and drinks Coca-Cola daily. His three children run major philanthropic foundations that are distributing much of his fortune, and his son Howard now chairs the Berkshire board, a role framed as guarding the company's culture and values.
Net Worth
Warren Buffett's net worth is estimated at $144 billion, according to Forbes' Forbes 400 ranking for 2026, where he placed as the 10th-richest American. Forbes' global billionaires list earlier placed him at around $149 billion as the ninth-richest person in the world. Nearly all of his fortune comes from his Berkshire Hathaway holdings — his 196,317 Class A shares account for roughly 38% of the company's outstanding Class A stock — plus his investments' decades of compounding.
Buffett's wealth has fluctuated with Berkshire's share price, and it is also steadily shrinking by design: since 2006 he has been giving away billions of dollars of Berkshire stock every year to charitable foundations, including the Gates Foundation and the foundations run by his children. He has said that almost all of his remaining fortune will go to philanthropy rather than his heirs, and he famously takes a salary of just $100,000 a year as Berkshire's chief executive — a figure that did not change over his tenure.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Warren Buffett?
Warren Buffett was born on August 30, 1930, which makes him 96 years old.
Is Warren Buffett still CEO of Berkshire Hathaway?
No. Greg Abel officially became CEO of Berkshire Hathaway on January 1, 2026, after Buffett announced the succession at the May 2025 shareholder meeting. On September 18, 2026, Buffett also stepped down as chairman and became chairman emeritus, with his son Howard Buffett elected chairman. Warren Buffett remains a director of the company.
Who is Warren Buffett's wife?
Warren Buffett is married to Astrid Menks, whom he wed on his 76th birthday in 2006. His first wife was Susan Thompson, whom he married in 1952; she died in 2004. They never divorced and remained on good terms throughout her life.
What is Warren Buffett's net worth?
His net worth is estimated at $144 billion, according to Forbes' 2026 Forbes 400 ranking, which lists him as the 10th-richest American. Most of his fortune is tied to his Berkshire Hathaway stock.
How many children does Warren Buffett have?
Warren Buffett has three children with his first wife, Susan: Susan Alice Buffett (born 1953), Howard Graham Buffett (born 1954), and Peter Buffett (born 1958). Howard chairs the Berkshire Hathaway board, and all three are involved in philanthropic foundations.
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