Warren Buffett, the 94-year-old CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, defended his love of junk food and lack of exercise at the company’s annual meeting. Buffett was seen with two cans of Coca-Cola and a box of snacks at the event. “At 94 years of age, I’ve been able to drink whatever I like to drink,” he said, lifting one of his Coke cans.
He dismissed warnings about the dangers of consuming soda, citing his own life and that of his late business partner, Charlie Munger, as counterexamples. Buffett joked that he and Munger never exercised much and instead focused on “preserving” themselves carefully. He pointed to the physical toll on athletes’ bodies as a cautionary tale against excessive exercise.
Buffett’s diet includes frequent visits to McDonald’s for breakfast and indulgence in Dairy Queen ice cream. He is known for his love of hot dogs, fries, popcorn, cookies, and candy. Buffett has invested heavily in companies like Coca-Cola and Kraft Heinz, making them some of Berkshire Hathaway’s largest holdings.
Buffett on diet and happiness
In a 2023 interview, Buffett remarked, “I think happiness makes an enormous amount of difference in terms of longevity. And I’m happier when I’m indulging in the foods I love.”
Buffett’s unconventional approach to diet and exercise continues to be a topic of public interest as he defies traditional health advice well into his 90s.
The “Oracle of Omaha” also brought his signature humor to the annual meeting. He joked about his longevity secret being Coke, not crunches, and poked fun at his late partner Charlie Munger, saying he tried to get Munger to have a sex change so he could live longer. Buffett also quipped about being born lucky, saying, “The luckiest day in my life was the day I was born in the US.
If I were being born today, I’d just keep negotiating in the womb until they said I could be in the US.”
Despite his vast fortune, Buffett finds joy in the simplicity of a fast-food breakfast influenced by the stock market’s fluctuations. Each morning, during his five-minute drive from home to the Berkshire Hathaway office in Omaha, Buffett makes a routine stop at McDonald’s. The exact details of his order depend on how well the market is performing.
If Berkshire shares are trading up, he might opt for a pricier breakfast, like a Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit. Conversely, if the market isn’t performing well, he might choose something more modest, like a Sausage McMuffin.
