Bill Gates: This tiny gesture of Warren Buffett’s ‘means the world to me’
|
Posted By: How May I Help You NC on June 28, 2019 Bill Gates: This tiny gesture of Warren Buffett’s ‘means the world to me’—here’s the valuable life lesson behind it If you’re curious about what true friendship looks like, just imagine Warren Buffett and Bill Gates grilling and chilling while picking up a shift at Dairy Queen. (Yes, that actually happened.) Buffett, 88, and Gates, 63, have had an enduring friendship: They’ve become bridge buddies, golfing companions and are both members of The Giving Pledge. It’s the little things “To this very day, every time I go to Omaha (which I try to do whenever I can), Warren still drives out to the airport to pick me up. It’s a small gesture, but it means the world to me,” Gates wrote in a 2016 blog post. He adds, “I’m always impatient for the plane doors to open because I know Warren will be waiting with a new story or a joke and I’ll be learning and laughing with him all over again.” The ‘most important’ life lesson While the two have a mutual level of respect for one another, Gates says he sometimes sees Buffett as a father figure. “When faced with a challenge, [Melinda and I] often ask ourselves, What would Warren do? It usually leads us to the best answer, ” the Microsoft co-founder writes. Gates has learned many life lessons from Buffett, but says “the most important lesson he taught me is what friendship is all about.” Even though he keeps up a hectic schedule, Warren still finds time to nurture friendships like few other people I know,” Gates says. “He picks up the phone and calls to say hello. He regularly sends articles he’s read that he thinks Melinda or I will find interesting.” Taking the time to be emotionally invested in your friendships is a valuable piece of advice that we can all benefit from. As the billionaire investor once said during a presentation at The University of Georgia: “If you get to my age in life and nobody thinks well of you, I don’t care how big your bank account is, your life is a disaster.” An investor who doesn’t use email and a tech nerd walk into a room... As we get closer to July 5th, which marks the 28th anniversary of the billionaires’ friendship, it’s worth knowing how one of the highest-profile partnerships in business came to be. Gates says he never expected to become friends with the Berkshire Hathaway CEO. In fact, they almost didn’t meet. Gates remembers it vividly: In 1991, his mother invited him to come out to their vacation home on Hood Canal to meet a bunch of friends, including Buffett. “I didn’t want to go,” he recalls in the blog post. “I told her I was too busy at work.” But his mother insisted. “Look,” Gates finally said, ”[Buffett] just buys and sells pieces of paper. That’s not real value added. I don’t think we’d have much in common.” Gates eventually gave in, and before he knew it, he and Buffett were suddenly lost in conversation. “He didn’t come across as a big shot investor. He had this modest way of talking about what he does,” Gates said. Buffett has a similar version of the story. In an 2016 interview with Bloomberg, Buffett said he was visiting Washington state when a friend invited him to dinner with Gates’ parents. His friend also joked that Gates might be at the dinner. It was a good thing he and Gates decided to go: “When we met, we talked for about 11 hours straight,” Buffett said. Tom Popomaronis is a commerce expert and proud Baltimore native. Currently, he is the Senior Director of Product Innovation at the Hawkins Group. His work has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company and The Washington Post. In 2014, he was named one of the “40 Under 40” by the Baltimore Business Journal. Video: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/27/this-small... If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
 |
How May I Help You NC
Management, See Moss Interactive Bellarmine University class of 2021 Member Since January 2011 |
Comments
More From This Author
Latest Career Content
 |
Spending time in a GARAGE Build it Guard it Design it Man Cave itHow many different types of Garages are under construction as we read?
👷🏽♂️Architects
“ How much does an Architectural Intern make in Columbus, Ohio?
As of Feb ...more
How May I Help You NC • 135 Views • February 12th, 2026 |
 |
Unlock Your Entrepreneur Journey — NEXT GEN Info SessionDate & TimeTuesday, February 1710:00 AM PST / 12:00 PM CST / 1:00 PM ESTVirtual EventREGISTER HERE:https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/a...Tuesday, March 1710:00 AM PST / 12:00 PM CST / 1:00 ...more
Laura Van Brackle Sims • 329 Views • February 9th, 2026 |
 |
Love a little help from my friend: Stevie WonderCurator: Sami YenigunStevie Wonder needs little introduction. His awards and achievements — 25 Grammy Awards, a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, more than 100 million records sold worldwide — ...more
How May I Help You NC • 374 Views • February 9th, 2026 |
 |
YouTube CEO — 4 Big Priorities for 2026 Neal Mohan@YouTube CEO @nealmohan talks with YouTube Liaison @ReneRitchie about his four big priorities for 2026, including:
⭐️ Reinventing entertainment: Cre ...more
How May I Help You NC • 453 Views • February 8th, 2026 |
Popular Career Content
 |
PAID, federal internships with the Federal Diversity Internship Initiative!The Washington Center Federal Diversity Internship Initiative Now is your chance to apply for paid fall internships with the Federal Diversity Internship Initiative! This is your once-in-a-lifetime op ...more
Reginald Culpepper • 41,909 Views • June 14th, 2017 |
 |
Today's Success Tip: Joachim de Posada says, Don't eat the marshmallow...yetWe were invited to the National Association of African Americans in Human Resource's reception held at the
Atlanta Marriott Marquis during the SHRM conference, and the gift/tip we walked away with w ...more
How May I Help You NC • 41,017 Views • June 29th, 2012 |
