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14 hours ago
- Business
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Warren Buffett Loves McDonalds And Coca-Cola But Scaled Back In Solidarity During His Wife's Oral Cancer Battle: 'I Won't Have Any Fun Either'
Warren Buffett has never pretended to eat healthy. For decades, he's bragged about his love of McDonald's breakfasts, Dairy Queen sundaes, and five cans of Coca-Cola a day. "I checked the actuarial tables," he told Fortune in 2015, "and the lowest death rate is among six-year-olds. So I decided to eat like a six-year-old." But when his wife, Susie, was diagnosed with oral cancer, Buffett quietly changed everything. According to Alice Schroeder's biography "The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life," Susie was restricted to a liquid-only diet following surgery and radiation. Buffett, known for dodging anything health-related, chose to scale back in solidarity. "That can't be a lot of fun," he told Schroeder. "So I won't have any fun either." He cut his own intake, not because he needed to—but because she couldn't eat. The same man who once said he'd give up a year of life before giving up ice cream put his routines on pause, out of love. Don't Miss: Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — Peter Thiel turned $1,700 into $5 billion—now accredited investors are eyeing this software company with similar breakout potential. Learn how you can For someone who used to change the subject at the mention of a cold, Buffett's transformation was dramatic. Schroeder wrote that he studied oncology, sat with Susie in her San Francisco apartment every weekend, and watched nearly 100 episodes of Frasier as she recovered. There were no cameras, no press statements. Just a man doing what he could for the woman he loved. Their marriage wasn't typical, and they never pretended it was. Susie moved to San Francisco in the late 1970s to pursue a singing career. She and Warren never divorced, but they lived apart for the rest of her life. It was Susie who introduced him to Astrid Menks, the woman who would become his second wife. Astrid moved into the Omaha, Nebraska, home, helped manage his household, and even joined Susie and Warren on holiday cards. In a 2006 interview with The New York Times, their daughter, Susie Buffett Jr., said, "Unconventional is not a bad thing... It just worked." Trending: Maximize saving for your retirement and cut down on taxes: . What also worked, oddly enough, was the emotional structure they built together. Susie remained Buffett's closest confidant, a key voice in his life and his philanthropic decisions. She pushed him toward causes like civil rights and family planning and laid the groundwork for what would become the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation. Buffett, in turn, credited her with shaping his values. In a 2017 interview with Bill Gates, he offered what might be the most revealing quote about how much that relationship mattered. "You want to associate with people who are the kind of person you'd like to be," he said. "You'll move in that direction. And the most important person by far in that respect is your spouse. I can't overemphasize how important that is."When Susie passed away in 2004, Buffett unraveled. Schroeder wrote that he was so grief-stricken he couldn't even attend the funeral. His daughter told him he didn't have to go, and he reportedly said, "I can't." The man who could face down billion-dollar acquisitions and financial collapses couldn't face losing her. Buffett's dietary gesture may seem small next to the rest of his legacy, but it revealed something far more personal than an annual shareholder letter. For a man who measures everything—returns, risk, long-term growth—it was a decision based entirely on feeling. No spreadsheets. No projections. Just quiet empathy. He didn't talk about love. He showed it. Read Next:Deloitte's fastest-growing software company partners with Amazon, Walmart & Target – Many are rushing to Image: Shutterstock Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Warren Buffett Loves McDonalds And Coca-Cola But Scaled Back In Solidarity During His Wife's Oral Cancer Battle: 'I Won't Have Any Fun Either' originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Warren Buffett Calls Letting First Wife Move Out His 'Biggest Mistake' — Admits It Was '99%' His Fault, Yet She Introduced Him to His Current Wife
Even billionaires have regrets—and for Warren Buffett, it wasn't a missed investment or market move. It was personal. In his authorized biography, "The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life," Buffett didn't shy away from reflecting on the one decision he wishes he could undo: letting his wife, Susan, leave their Omaha home. "It was preventable. It shouldn't have happened. It was my biggest mistake," Buffett told biographer Alice Schroeder, who spent five years documenting his life with full access to his files, family, and inner circle. "Essentially, whatever I did in connection with Susie leaving would be the biggest mistake I ever made." Don't Miss: Hasbro, MGM, and Skechers trust this AI marketing firm — Deloitte's fastest-growing software company partners with Amazon, Walmart & Target – Published in 2008, "The Snowball" offered readers a rare look at Buffett beyond the shareholder letters and stock picks. While many expected an investing playbook, what they got was something closer to a confession booth. "It was definitely 95% my fault—no question about that," Buffett said. "It may even have been 99% percent. I just wasn't attuned enough to her, and she'd always been perfectly attuned to me." The Buffetts married in 1952 and had three children. But by 1977, after 25 years together, Susan left Omaha for San Francisco. She wanted to pursue her own life—particularly a singing career—and perhaps needed more than a man consumed by balance sheets and annual reports. "She felt less needed than I should have made her feel," Buffett admitted. "Your spouse starts coming second. She kept me together for a lot of years... She didn't want to be Mrs. Big... She loved me, and she still loves me, and we have an incredible relationship. But still... it shouldn't have happened. And it's totally my fault." Trending: Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — Despite the separation, the two never divorced. They remained close—so close, in fact, that Susan introduced Warren to Astrid Menks, the woman who would eventually become his second wife. That introduction wasn't random. Susan and Astrid had become friends at The French Café in Omaha, where Susan occasionally performed and Astrid worked as a hostess. Knowing Warren's domestic blind spots, Susan asked Astrid to look after him. She moved in soon after. The setup was unconventional, but it worked—for all three of them. The trio even sent out joint holiday cards signed, "Warren, Susan and Astrid." After Susan's death in 2004, Warren and Astrid married in 2006. But even then, the legacy of Susan's presence in his life loomed large. "She loved him and takes care of him. If Warren didn't have a cent, she'd be with him," his daughter Susie Buffett told The New York Times in 2006, speaking about Astrid's commitment. She also described the connection between her mother and Astrid: "Astrid and my mother were very close—really loved each other."And of her parents' arrangement, she added, "Unconventional is not a bad thing. More people should have unconventional marriages." Susan had once told her daughter that she didn't want to simply be known as the wife of a billionaire. "She basically wanted a room of her own," Susie said. "They were very connected in a very deep way. They didn't need to be in the same room." In the end, Warren Buffett didn't lose Susan. He just lost the version of their relationship that looked traditional on paper. What they built instead was far more complicated—and in many ways, more enduring. And yes, she introduced him to the woman who would become his partner after her death. It's not your standard love triangle, but nothing about Buffett's life—not even the romance—has ever followed the market. Read Next: Maximize saving for your retirement and cut down on taxes: . 'Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. Image: Shutterstock UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Warren Buffett Calls Letting First Wife Move Out His 'Biggest Mistake' — Admits It Was '99%' His Fault, Yet She Introduced Him to His Current Wife originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Sign in to access your portfolio
