Warren Buffett's 94-yr routine: McDonald's, Coca-Cola, a life of no regrets

Business Standard

04-05-2025

Warren Buffett just made headlines by announcing his official step-down as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, a role he's held for 60 years. But what's equally fascinating is how Buffett, 94, continues to live: with five cans of Coca-Cola a day, McDonald's breakfasts based on market moods, and no exercise.
During Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholder meeting on Saturday, Buffett defended his junk-food diet and distaste for exercise. "For 94 years, I've been able to drink what I want, do what I want, and I've defied all the predictions of what should've happened to me...Charlie (Munger) and I never really exercised all that much. We were carefully preserving ourselves," he said.
Seated with two cans of Coca-Cola and a box of See's Candies on the table in front of him, the billionaire investor reflected on life, health, and happiness. "Bad things do happen," he said, "but overall, life has been pretty good."
Despite the "bad breaks", he emphasised a 40-year span of mostly positive life experiences, rooted in simple joys, personal freedom, and ignoring gloomy predictions about ageing.
An unapologetic diet of junk food
Buffett's daily routine has remained unchanged even in his 90s. His diet famously includes hot dogs, fries, popcorn, cookies, and candy, unapologetically unhealthy favourites.
"I checked the actuarial tables," he once joked, "and the lowest death rate is among six-year-olds. So I decided to eat like a six-year-old."
He said to CNBC in 2023, "If somebody told me I would live an extra year if I ate nothing but broccoli and a few other things all my life instead of eating what I like, I would say take a year off the end of my life and let me eat what I like to eat."
In a December 2024 article by the Chronicle of Philanthropy, Susie Buffett confirmed that her father still lives in the same Omaha home he purchased in 1958 for $31,500 and regularly stops by McDonald's for breakfast.
According to his documentary, Becoming Warren Buffett, his McDonald's breakfast is based on the stock market's performance. If the market is up, he might splurge on a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit. If it's down, he opts for the more modest two-sausage patty order, paid for in exact change, his wife puts in the car.
Apart from grabbing McDonald's for breakfast during his morning commute, he also consumes at least five cans of Coca-Cola daily, split between office hours and home, preferring regular Coke during the day and Cherry Coke at night. He also regularly indulges in Dairy Queen ice cream.
He has even made Coca-Cola and Kraft Heinz two of Berkshire Hathaway's largest holdings and acquired companies like See's Candies and Dairy Queen.
'I think happiness makes an enormous amount of difference in terms of longevity,' Buffett said in a 2023 interview. 'And I'm happier when I'm drinking Coke or eating hot fudge sundaes or hot dogs.'
No gym, no wear and tear
Buffett admits he and his late business partner, Charlie Munger weren't exactly gym rats. At the annual shareholder meeting, he shared how both men chose not to exercise much over the decades. "We preserved ourselves," he said with a grin, suggesting that not constantly pushing their bodies may have helped them stay physically stable over time.
He cited the physical toll on professional athletes as a strong reason to avoid joining baseball or basketball teams, arguing that it highlighted the potential dangers of excessive exercise.
Buffett, who also has access to the world's best healthcare and specialists, has proven that longevity, mentally and professionally, is a strong argument for finding what works for you, even if it breaks every rule in the health book.