Warren Buffett

Warren Buffett      (businessman)
Born	Warren Edward Buffett 1930-08-30 Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Nationality	US
Alma mater	Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Columbia University
Parents	• Howard Buffett • Leila Stahl Buffett
Children	• Susan • Howard • Peter
Spouse	Susan Thompson
Founder of	The Giving Pledge
Member of	"The Good Club", Democracy Alliance
Interest of	Peter Flaherty
Party	Democratic

Warren Edward Buffett is an American investor, business tycoon, philanthropist, and the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. He has a net worth of over US$78.9 billion as of August 2020, making him the world's seventh-wealthiest person.

Berkshire Hathaway

Buffett has been the chairman and largest shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway since 1970. The sprawling company owns stock in many multinational corporations, including Coca-Cola, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, GE, the railroad Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation; and chemical companies, mines, retail, media, etc.

In 2008, Berkshire invested in preferred stock of Goldman Sachs as part of a recapitalization of the investment bank. Buffett defended Lloyd Blankfein's decisions as CEO of Goldman Sachs, as the bank was sued by the Securities and Exchange Commission for Securities Fraud.

Foundations

In 2009, he founded The Giving Pledge together with Bill Gates, whereby several dozen billionaires get together for conferences, to spend their money on philantropy under the de facto leadership of Bill Gates. The Pledgers promises to "give away" 50% of their fortune (although this can be misleading, as philanthropy can be both a tax dodge and a loss leader, plus a powerful political tool). Starting in 2006, Buffett pledged to give away 99 percent of his fortune "in his lifetime or at death",, essentially handing his money over to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation when he dies.

A smaller foundation is the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation (previously the Buffett Foundation), was renamed after his wife who died in 2004. Her will bestowed about $2.5 billion on the foundation, to which her husband's gifts was added. The foundation has mainly focused on reproductive health, family planning, and pro-choice causes, and on preventing the spread of nuclear weapons.

Quotes

“There's class warfare, all right, but it's my class, the rich class, that's making war, and we're winning.”
Warren Buffett

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