Warren Buffett timeline
Here is a close look at the stories and events that have shaped the life and career of Warren Buffett, arguably America’s greatest investor of the modern era.
Warren Buffett: Fast Facts
Born: Warren Edward Buffett
Date of Birth: August 30, 1930
Parents: Howard Buffett and Leila Stahl Buffett
Education: Columbia Business School; University of Nebraska; Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania; Woodrow Wilson High School; Rose Hill Elementary School
Spouse: Susan Thompson (1952-2004); Astrid Menks (married in 2006)
Children: Susan, Howard, Peter
Most famous for: Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway
Zodiac sign: Virgo
Nickname: Oracle of Omaha; Sage of Omaha
Warren Buffett quote
Warren Buffett: Timeline
1930: Born in Omaha, Nebraska; second child of his parents – Congressman Howard Buffett and Leila Buffett
1942: Enrolls at Rose Hill Elementary School
1947: Graduates from Woodrow Wilson High School
1941: Buys his first shares – preference shares of Cities Service
1944: Buys a 40-acre land for about $1,200
1947: Gains admission into the University of Pennsylvania – the Wharton School
1949: Graduates from the University of Nebraska with a BSc in Business Administration
1951: Graduates with a Master of Science in Economics from Columbia University
1951-1954: Investment salesman at Buffett-Falk & Co.
1952: Marries Susan Thompson (1932-2004)
1953: Welcomes his first child, Susan Alice
1954-1956: Securities analyst at Graham-Newman Corp
1954: Welcomes his second child, Howard Graham
1956-1969: Joins Buffett Partnership, Ltd
1958: Welcomes his third child, Peter Andrew
1960: His business grows into seven partnerships
1962: Becomes a millionaire and goes on to invest in Berkshire Hathaway
1970: Becomes chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
1973: Starts buying shares in the Washington Post
1979: Begins acquiring shares in American Broadcasting Company (ABC)
1985: Berkshire Hathaway exits the textile business and moves into the insurance sector
1988: Buys shares in The Coca-Cola Company
1998: Buys General Re, a health reinsurance company.
July, 2004: His first wife, Susan Buffett, dies
2006: Makes an announcement to give away 85% of his shares in Berkshire to five charity organizations, the bulk going to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Warren Buffett quotes
2006: Marries his longtime partner Astrid Menks
2009: Invests $2.6 billion in Swiss Re
2009: Acquires Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp for $34 billion
2011: Buys about 64 million shares in IBM Corp; those shares were valued at around $11 billion
2011: Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by then-President of the United States Barack Obama
April 2012: Diagnosed with stage I prostate cancer
2016: Endorses and supports Democratic candidate Hilary Clinton ahead of the 2016 presidential election
April, 2020: Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, his firm, Berkshire Hathaway, ditches all their holdings in the ‘big four’ airline companies – American, Delta, Southwest, and United
