What did Bill Gates learn from Warren Buffett?
The co-founder of Microsoft often acknowledges that Warren Buffett's wisdom has made a big impact on his life. One of the things Gates has openly admitted to learning from Buffett is to value and protect the precious commodity of time.
Gates and Buffett gave the same one-word answer: “Focus.” (See more in The Snowball by Alice Schroeder). I love the clarity of their answer but I am also concerned by how this can be, to quote Rudyard Kipling, “twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools.” I am an advocate for focus in work, life and leadership.
Buffett, who is 92, and Gates, who is two years older, have been longtime friends for 30 years. Through business ventures that turned philanthropic, they have assisted countless people worldwide.
Buffett studied under the legendary value investor Benjamin Graham while pursuing a business degree at Columbia University (Harvard had rejected him). Buffett teamed with Charlie Munger to buy the ailing Berkshire Hathaway textile company, later to be used as a vehicle to acquire other businesses and make investments.
Bill Gates said in his blog, that he used every free moment he had to learn how to code. He stated that the introduction to computer science has changed his life path and that it greatly influenced his way of thinking. “Questions that programming has taught you to ask- How do I solve a problem? Can I find a pattern?
Billionaires Bill Gates and Warren Buffet have been friends for almost twenty-six years, meeting for the first time on July 5, 1991. They first met when Bill Gates' mother asked him to meet Buffett at their vacation home in Washington state.
Bill Gates is full of regret about missed vacations and broken relationships in commencement speech: 'You are not a slacker if you cut yourself some slack' As Bill Gates looks back, he remembers all the not so fond times Microsoft had together.
Buffett gave away $3.6 billion to the Gates Foundation and a total of $1 billion to four philanthropies run by his three children. Buffett has made annual donations of Berkshire Hathaway stock (ticker: BRK. A/BRK.B) stock around this time of year to those organizations since he began his giving program in 2006.
Bill co-founded Microsoft Corporation in 1975 with Paul Allen and led the company to become the worldwide leader in business and personal software and services.
Warren Buffett and Bill Gates have been friends since the 1990s. Bill Gates and Warren Buffett have a lot in common.
Why did Warren Buffett leave Gates Foundation?
Buffett's departure, announced on Wednesday, comes as the foundation is embroiled in multiple scandals, including allegations of misconduct toward women—directed at both Bill Gates and the money manager of the Gates Foundation's endowment, Michael Larson.
He Chose a Great Business Partner
“Deciding to go into partnership with Paul Allen is probably at the top of the list.” Allen and Gates were friends growing up, and they co-founded Microsoft in 1975. Allen left the company eight years later, after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease.
It was at Columbia where he met his mentor Benjamin Graham, who many consider the “father of value investing.” Buffett ran an investment partnership from 1957-1969, generating annual returns of 23.8 percent after fees, according to Fortune magazine.
- Never lose money. ...
- Never invest in businesses you cannot understand. ...
- Our favorite holding period is forever. ...
- Never invest with borrowed money. ...
- Be fearful when others are greedy.
He believes that the most important quality for an investor is temperament, not intellect. A successful investor doesn't focus on being with or against the crowd. The stock market will experience swings but Buffett stays focused on his goals in good times and bad. So should all serious investors.
Introduction to BASIC
In 1968, Gates and his friends spent hours playing with the computer and learning its programming language: BASIC, or Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code. Soon, Gates was creating programs. Gates's first attempt at programming involved a popular game.
Gates, instead, is a rational optimist according to Housel—someone who acknowledges that “history is a constant chain of problems and disappointments and setbacks”, but remains “optimistic because they know that setbacks don't prevent eventual progress.”
Beyond his own business interests, Gates was truly inspired by the proliferation of software applications built on the company's operating systems, and their potential to improve lives and livelihoods across every category of business.
Munger was known as the longtime business partner and friend of fellow billionaire Warren Buffett, whom he worked with for nearly 45 years. The partnership proved successful for both: Munger's net worth was most recently estimated at $2.3 billion, according to Forbes.
Gates is known for his philanthropic work through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, while Buffett is also a philanthropist, but primarily through his personal giving. Gates is seen as a tech visionary and innovator, while Buffett is known for his investment acumen and business savvy.
Who was Warren Buffett's billionaire friend?
Munger, the billionaire investor and longtime business partner to Warren Buffett, died on Tuesday at the age of 99. He'd previously filmed a wide-ranging interview with CNBC's Becky Quick, which aired on Thursday evening, and discussed his rationale for living in the same California home over the past 70 years.
Before Microsoft became a success in the 1980s, co-founder Bill Gates struggled with self-confidence and actually feared that his business would be a bust, he told students during a Q&A at Harvard last month. "Even the idea that Microsoft would be a big company, I never would admit that to myself," Gates said.
For Bill Gates, savvy investing in a diversified portfolio of financial assets, real estate, and collectibles help ensure that his wealth will continue to grow.
As a youngster, Bill Gates did not believe in taking vacations or unwinding during the weekends. The Microsoft co-founder explained in his latest blog post how his views changed as he got older, especially after he became a father. "When I was my kids' age, I didn't believe in vacations or weekends.
Warren Buffett drives a Cadillac XTS, a car that is far from the flashy, high-end luxury vehicles that one might expect a billionaire to own. Consistent with his down-to-earth lifestyle, Buffett's choice of vehicle is practical, reliable, and understated.
