Warren Buffett
Warren Buffett (b. Omaha, Nebraska, 1930) is an American businessman and philanthropist. According to Forbes he is at present the richest man in the world. Buffett is noted for his frugality despite his personal fortune (He still lives in the same house in Omaha he bought three decades ago for $31,500, and drives an older Lincoln Towncar).
Over the past thirty-five years, Warren Buffett has emerged as arguably the greatest investor in American history. [1]
In 2007 he announced that most of his fortune would be administered by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He pledge 10 million shares of Berkshire Hathaway stock to the foundation, and as of 2010 has deliver 25% of the pledged shares, valued at around $6 billion. [2]
Susie, his wife died in 2004, at 72.
Despite his reputation for entrepenuership and successful business management, Buffett endorsed Democratic candidate Barack Obama during the 2008 United States Presidential Election. He is also an affirmed agnostic[3].
Buffett hypocritically supports raising taxes on the rich, while not giving the government any extra tax money himself. He wrote an Op-ed article for the New York Times begging for tax increases on the rich. Of Buffett's $50 billion net worth, he only paid $6.9 million in taxes 2010. [1] His personal income tax rate is 1/7000th of his net worth. Critics, mostly on the right, have mocked Buffett's call to raise taxes. Like other liberals calling for higher taxes, they can afford to pay more but never do on their own.
See also
References
- â Forbes magazine, September 2011