If you know anything about Warren Buffett, you know that he’s CEO of Berkshire Hathaway and a wildly successful investor with a net worth of at least $110 billion. As one of the richest men alive, along with Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, Buffett is also a creature of habit. Even though he’s a billionaire, he still lives in Omaha, Nebraska in the same house he’s lived in since 1958.
Along with his living situation, Buffett also follows a daily routine that may seem unusual for his income but may seem more relatable to the average person.
With a diet full of junk food and cans of Cherry coke, one has to wonder if the billionaire’s consistent daily habits are what helps contribute to a long life.
Before you assume that Warren Buffett leads a healthy lifestyle that has helped him live to 91, you should know that his eating habits are likely not what got him there.
In a 2015 interview with Fortune, Buffett states, “I eat like a six-year old.”
You can probably guess that six-year olds don’t necessarily follow a healthy diet or even care to as they enjoy happy meals and lots and lots of sugar. An article in Business Insider outlined what it was like to eat like Warren Buffett for a week, and spoiler alert, it wasn’t as fun as it may seem.
After getting a solid eight hours of sleep, Buffett typically wakes up around 6:45am to start his day. Many of us look forward to a cup of coffee to wake us up in the morning, and although Buffett also opts for caffeine, it’s not coming from a Keurig.
“If I eat 2700 calories a day, a quarter of that is Coca-Cola. I drink at least five 12-ounce servings. I do it everyday,” Buffett tells Fortune. After hearing this, it may come to no surprise that Berkshire Hathaway is Coca-Cola’s largest shareholder. If you’re wondering, each can of coke contains 138 calories, 33g of sugar, and 29 mg of caffeine.
The American Heart Association recommends that men only consume 38g of sugar daily and women 25g daily, so Buffett is consuming well above this dose everyday.
After drinking his first can of coke in the morning, he stops at McDonald’s before heading to work.
In a 2017 HBO documentary, Becoming Warren Buffett, Buffett says, “When I’m not feeling quite so prosperous, I might go with the $2.61, which is two sausage patties, and then I put them together and pour myself a Coke. $3.17 is a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit, but the market’s down this morning, so I’ll pass up the $3.17 and go with the $2.95.”
Even if the Oracle of Omaha has curated more wealth than a lot of us can even imagine, he still pinches pennies at fast food restaurants.
A 2008 biography, The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life, written by Alice Schroeder outlines how Buffett spends his day when he gets in the office. The majority of his day is spent reading news from the Omaha World-Herald, the Washington Post, Financial Times, and the New York Times.
You might expect a billionaire to have a fancy lunch catered for them, but Buffett typically opts for more fast food and dessert.
A chili cheese dog and an ice cream Sundae with cherry syrup and chopped nuts is one of his go-to's, but he also likes hamburgers, turkey sandwiches, and French fries with extra salt.
John Stumpf, the former CEO of Wells Fargo, told Bloomberg in 2014, “When the food comes, Warren grabs a salt shaker in his left hand and one in his right, and it's a snowstorm.”
Of course, Buffett has a can of coke with his meals, but he can also be seen eating See’s Candies. He loves their candy almost as much as he loves their business, and that’s why he decided to buy it in 1972.
Once a year, Buffett also heads to his favorite New York restaurant, Smith & Wollensky, where he hosts an auctioned lunch with a lucky winner to raise money for Glide.
According to CNBC, the last meal in 2019 was auctioned off for $4.57 million, and one more lunch will be held this year.
Eating like a six-year old means the fast food may also continue for dinner. Although this can be the case, Buffett has also been known to order country-fried steak and T-bone steak with hash browns from Gorat's Steakhouse.
However, some holiday dinners with the family are at McDonald’s. Buffett told CNBC that he has a gold card that allows him to eat free at these fast food chains in Omaha, and that’s why the Buffett family eats Christmas dinner there.
Buffett might not prioritize working out like some of us, but if he has time in the morning, he tries to find time for exercise. There’s not much information on what the billionaire does for his workout routine, but we can only imagine it doesn’t exactly balance out his fast food and coke diet.
Even if Buffett isn’t fully dedicated to exercising his body, he definitely likes to exercise his brain to help keep him sharp.
He likes to play bridge so much that he plays up to eight hours a week. Buffett told the Washington Post, “It's a game you can enjoy when you are in your 90s, and you are seeing a different intellectual challenge every seven minutes. It's the best exercise there is for the brain.”
Buffett’s long-time friend, Bill Gates (maybe you’ve heard of him), also likes to play Bridge, and they often play together.
Warren Buffett may eat like a six-year old and claim to be one-quarter Coca Cola, but that doesn't mean we can’t take away anything from his habits. We definitely don’t condone living off a diet full of fast food and soda, but there are some parts of his daily routine that we can learn from.
First and foremost, he has a daily routine that he’s careful to follow.
Keeping structure in your life, and more specifically with diet and exercise, can help you stay on track to reach your goals.
Making a workout program and prepping meals for the week can both be important variables of living a healthier lifestyle.
Buffett goes to bed and wakes up at the same time each day and prioritizes his sleep.
Maintaining a healthy sleep schedule can help improve your cognitive function and overall health, so not skipping out on those Z’s may be just what you need.
If you have a hard time getting quality sleep, try Rested-AF for a deeper, more restful sleep.
Lastly, Buffett manages his time well and loves what he does. Although he’s referring to work, that can apply to your fitness routine. One of the biggest excuses for not working out is “lack of time”. If you’re dedicated enough, you can make time.
Choosing an exercise routine that you love can help you stay motivated, and focusing on portion control instead of restricting foods you love can help you enjoy healthy eating.
Maybe following Warren Buffett’s diet isn’t the right thing to do, but taking his advice and adopting his mindset for living a happier, more balanced life just might be.
