Warren Buffett Trivia Questions

Berkshire Hathaway's Class A shares have never split, trading over $500,000 each as of 2024, to discourage short-term trading.

His father Howard was a stockbroker and congressman, but left no large inheritance. Buffett built his fortune from scratch with discipline and compounding.

With a net worth over $100 billion, Buffett’s wealth exceeds the GDP of nations like Iceland or Jamaica, showing his massive financial scale.

Buffett actually owns NetJets, a private jet company, and uses their services. He once joked about buying a jet named 'The Indefensible' to acknowledge his hypocrisy.

He has donated over $50 billion to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other charities since 2006. He pledged to give away 99% of his fortune during his lifetime.

He purchased the five-bedroom stucco house in 1958 for $31,500 and was still residing there as of 2023, with the property then valued around $1.2 million—modest for a billionaire.

He bought the house in 1958 for $31,500 and has lived there ever since; it's now worth about $1 million. He prefers not to move to a mansion.

Buffett has sold some Coca-Cola shares, most notably in 2020 when Berkshire Hathaway trimmed its stake by about 1.6 million shares.

In 2007, Buffett made a public bet with Protégé Partners that a low-cost Vanguard S&P 500 fund would outperform five hedge funds over a decade. He won easily.

He bought three shares of Cities Service Preferred at $38 each. He also deducted his bicycle as a business expense on his first tax return at age 13.

In 2007, Buffett made a public bet with Protégé Partners. An S&P 500 index fund won handily, proving passive investing often beats active management.

Buffett bought his modest five-bedroom home for $31,500 in 1958 and still lives there, valuing simplicity over luxury despite his billions.

Buffett uses a flip phone and a computer for tasks like playing bridge. He avoids smartphones and social media, but he does own both a cell phone and a computer.

In 2010, Buffett announced the Giving Pledge, committing to donate 99% of his wealth to philanthropy, with the largest portion directed to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

At age 11, Buffett purchased three shares of Cities Service Preferred at $38.25 each. He sold them at $40, but the stock later rose to over $200, teaching him an early lesson about patience.

Buffett famously resisted smartphones for years, using a simple Samsung flip phone even as a billionaire. He finally switched to an iPhone in 2020, but only for calls and texts.

In 1965, Buffett took control of a struggling textile company called Berkshire Hathaway. He gradually shifted it into a holding company for investments and acquisitions.

Harvard rejected his application. He earned his MBA from Columbia Business School, where he studied under Benjamin Graham.

Buffett has famously refused to split Class A shares to attract long-term investors, and BRK.A has never undergone a stock split, making it the most expensive NYSE stock, often exceeding $500,000 per share.

Berkshire Class A has never split, so its price has climbed to over $500,000 per share, making it one of the most expensive stocks. Buffett favors long-term investors.

This is a myth. Buffett is famously frugal—he still gets $15 haircuts. He never pays for stock tips, especially from barbers.

He pledged most to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, not a family-run charity. His children oversee their own foundations, but the bulk goes to Gates.

Buffett has donated to Democratic candidates and causes, including Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign and various progressive groups, though he avoids public endorsements.

Berkshire Hathaway was a struggling textile company Buffett acquired in the 1960s. He eventually pivoted it into a holding company for investments.

In 2020, Warren Buffett purchased his first iPhone, a smartphone. He previously used a flip phone and famously does not have a computer on his desk, but the claim that he has never owned a smartphone is false.

Buffett still lives in the Omaha home he purchased in 1958 for $31,500. Current estimates value it over $700,000, exceeding $500,000.

After being rejected, Buffett attended Columbia, where he studied under Benjamin Graham, the father of value investing—shaping his entire career.

As of 2024, Li Ka-shing (born 1928) was 96, older than Buffett's 94. Multiple other billionaires, such as George Soros, are similarly aged, so Buffett does not hold this title.

His salary has been $100,000 per year for decades, not $1 million. He believes executives should not be overpaid and sets an example with his modest compensation.

Buffett has publicly stated that he told his grandchildren he would cover college costs if they graduated high school, a well-documented reflection of his belief in providing opportunity without fostering dependence.

Since 1980, Buffett has taken a modest $100,000 salary, refusing raises. He argues it aligns his interests with shareholders and avoids excessive compensation.

Berkshire Hathaway has held its Coca-Cola shares continuously since 1988 without selling a single share, as confirmed by Buffett himself and unchanged share counts in regulatory filings.

In 1967, Buffett bought National Indemnity after a 20-minute in-person negotiation with Jack Ringwalt at a hotel, not via a phone call. The famous quick deal did happen, but not over the phone.

Buffett used only a flip phone until 2020, when he started using an iPhone 11. While he still does not personally use email, the fact that he now owns a smartphone makes the statement false.

Buffett has stated in interviews that he consumes about five 12-ounce cans of Coca-Cola products daily, often including Cherry Coke, a habit he began as a child.

Buffett invested in IBM in 2011 (though he later sold it). He also bought tech-adjacent companies like Precision Castparts. His Apple purchase was large but not his first tech investment.

Buffett was rejected by Harvard Business School after an interview. He later said it was a blessing because it led him to Columbia Business School, where he studied under value investing pioneer Benjamin Graham.

Warren Buffett has led Berkshire Hathaway since 1970, transforming it from a textile mill into a massive conglomerate.