Warren Buffett

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Warren Buffet isn’t your average billionaire. In 2008 Warren Buffett was announced the richest man in the world, and has remained among the top three in the two years that have followed. But what makes Buffet so special to me isn’t just his fortune, but rather what he does with that fortune. In 2006 Buffett made a pledge that 99% of his wealth would go to philanthropic causes. In that same year he donated 10 million shares (30.7 Billion U.S) of his company Berkshire Hathaway, to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. To this day it is still the single largest charitable donation ever seen on this planet. Buffett is my hero simply because of his business success, and his incredible character and generosity.

Buffett was born in Omaha, Nebraska on August 30 1930. Warren's father was a stockbroker turned congressman, and it was apparent from an early age that he possessed the same business gene. Buffett purchased his first stock when he was only eleven years old and made his first profit when he was six, selling kids Coke bottles 25 cents cheaper than their original price. Business became Buffett's life. After high school he went to the University of Pennsylvania’s business school (Wharton School), then transferred two years later to a University in his native Nebraska, and after that attended Columbia Business School. Then after completing his degree he began to build his fortune. He returned home to Omaha and worked for his father's brokerage house as a typical salesman, two years later he went on to work for his mentor Mark Graham, and eventually went on to purchase the textile company Berkshire Hathaway. Throughout his careers he’s invested in thousands of stocks, and been part of countless business partnerships, ultimately leading to the huge success of his company, and adding to his enormous fortune. It’s hard to find something that Buffet isn’t part of in the business world. Berkshires assets own a number of different businesses from dairy queen, fruit of the loom, Geico insurance, and stocks in Coca-Cola and Proctor and gamble. We don’t realize how much Warren Buffet is part of our lives.

What makes Warren Buffett special to me is his character. Buffett possesses a sense of humility, unseen by any other celebrity or billionaire. He still lives in the exact same house since 1957, a five bedroom, moderately sized house in Omaha. Most people that possessed a billion dollars wouldn’t dare think to give any away as much as Buffett does, and certainly would be inclined to live in much more lavish living quarters. But unlike so many before him his values have remained the same throughout his success, and hasn’t let the money get to him. In fact, Buffett's salary continues to decrease each year, yet he sees no need to worry. For him it's not about the money anymore. He’s proved himself in the business world, but now he looks to prove himself on a human level, a feat that he values just as equally.

In 2004 Buffet's wife Susan died of a stroke; it was a terrible tragedy, and made Buffet really think about his public image and how he wanted to be remembered. So he set off on this great mission. Six years later Buffett has donated roughly 8.3 Billion to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and 6 billion over five other smaller charities. Call him crazy, nuts, what have you, but really the world needs more Warren Buffetts. We're all told by our peers to be more generous, give more, be more thankful. When really we should just want to, especially during the holiday season. I know way too many people who have succumbed to greed and ignorance when handling their money and this is truly a shame. I bet if you asked Buffett today, he would tell you that he values his philanthropic achievements much more than his business ones. After all money doesn’t buy happiness, but that feeling, of knowing you did something good, has more value than any business asset ever could.