The famed Warren Buffett lunch auction has returned after a two year Covid-19 hiatus, and this is a special one. It's the last opportunity to lunch with Warren. At 91 years of age he's calling it a day.
Image: Mark Hirschey | Wikimedia
Over the last 22 years Buffett has raised an awesome $34.2m for the San Francisco based GLIDE charity, which offers meals, shelter and medical assistance to the poor, homeless and those addicted to drugs.
Buffett has described GLIDE as “maybe the most effective organization I’ve seen for people down on their luck. It takes people who have hit bottom and brings them back. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.”
Bidding for the 2022 luncheon started at $25,000 and after just 8 bids has already topped $3m. Bidding closes this Friday 17th June.
The winning bidder and their guests will get to dine with Buffett at the Smith & Wollensky steakhouse in Manhattan. Apparently Warren loves a good steak, and his go-to order is a medium rare sirloin, with hash browns and a cherry coke.
Should you have a spare $3m there are just three catches:
- All bidders will need to be vetted and pre-qualified
- None of your invited guest must present Buffett with a security risk or to a risk of unwanted publicity
- During the lunch you are not allowed to discuss Buffetts current or future investment plans.
Past luncheon winners include American entrepreneur Justin Sun who paid the record $4,567,888 in 2019, beating 2018's previous record price of $3.3m.
Another past winner was money manager Ted Wechsler who was successful in 2010 and 2011 and subsequently went on to work for Buffett.
The Warren Buffett lunch auction idea originally came from Buffett's first wife Susie, a benefactor of GLIDE.
The price of the first lunch in 2000? Just $25,000.