How Much Would You Pay for Lunch with Warren Buffett?

Every year Berkshire Hathaway chairman, Warren Buffett auctions off a lunch. The winning bid gets a chance to dine with Buffett and the CEO at Smith & Wollensky. The annual auction benefits the San Francisco charity, Glide.

The starting price is $25,000. This year’s final bid hit $19.0001 million. That bid topped one of just $19 million. The winner asked to remain anonymous.

This is the last year Buffett is auctioning himself off for lunch. So the $19.0001 million will be not only be the highest bid ever, it will be the last.

“It’s been nothing but good,” Buffett said. “I’ve met a lot of interesting people from all over the world. The one universal characteristic is that they feel the money is going to be put to very good uses.”

The first bid Buffett did brought in $25,000 in 2000. Here’s a list of totals over the years.   Buffett didn’t do the annual bid during the two years of COVID. As you can see the $19.0001 million award is way, way higher than the previous high of $4.27 million in 2019.

2019 — $4.27 million

2018 — $3.3 million

2017 — $2.67 million

2016 — $2.45 million

2015 — $2.34 million

2014 — $2.16 million

2013 — $1.0 million

2012 — $3.45 million

2011 — $2.62 million

2010 — $2.62 million

2009 — $1.68 million

2008 — $2.11 million

2007 — $650,000

2006 — $620,000

2005 — $351,000

2004 — $202,000

2003 — $250,000

2002 — $25,000

2001 — $18,000

2000 — $25,000