CHINA TOPIX

04/18/2024 07:59:32 pm

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How Much Does it Cost to Have Lunch with Warren Buffett?

If you think the first lunch date you had with your girlfriend was already the world's most expensive date, think again. Having a lunch date with billionaire investor Warren Buffett could cost up to US $3.5 million.

Warrant Buffett, the CEO of global investment powerhouse Berkshire Hathaway, is once again asking for one of the most expensive lunches in the world in a bidding that once fetched US $3.5 million in recent years.

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This year's bidding for a lunch date with Buffet was posted on eBay with a starting bid of US $25,000, the New York Times reported. By Monday morning, the bid price has already reached US $350,000 with 32 bidders fighting it out online to win that much-coveted lunch seat beside Buffett. This year's bidding will end in four days.

The winner of this week's bidding can bring up to seven friends to meet and have lunch with Buffett in New York City's Smith & Wollensky. In the bid details, Buffett said he is willing to dine for several hours with the winning bidder and his or her friends to discuss nearly anything under the sun.

Buffett, however, will not answer questions about his next investments. That's trade secret, experts said.

Proceeds of the annual charity auction will go to the San Francisco-based antipoverty organization, Glide, which has been the charity of choice for Buffett.

Since the launching of the annual charity auction, Buffet has managed to fetch huge amount of money for Glide. In 2012, the charity auction reached a record high of US $3.5 million. The amount, however, dropped to only US $1 million in 2013. Overall, Glide has raised US $15 million through the charity auction initiated by Buffett.

Among the winners in the annual charity bidding were hedge fund manager Ted Weschler, who paid US $2.6 million in 2010 and 2011, to dine with Buffett; Hong Kong investment firm manger Zhao Danyang; Singapore investor Jason Choo; and hedge fund manager David Einhorn.

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