There is no such thing as a free lunch, but if you want to have lunch with Warren Buffett, not only can you not have a free lunch, you have to pay for it.
After a two-year hiatus due to the new crown epidemic, the 2022 'Lunch with Warren Buffett' charity auction has begun, and the auction will end on June 17, with the winning bidder getting to have lunch with Warren Buffett at Smith & Wollensky Steakhouse in Manhattan with up to seven guests.
▲ Photo from: CFP
The auction, which has been running annually since 2000, has raised over $34 million, with the proceeds going to charity each year, and this year's donation is no exception. And the auction is still running on eBay, but this year the charity auction is coming to a close and these events are being held for the last time.
▲Image from: eBay
Perhaps because it's the last "Lunch with Warren Buffett" charity auction, the bidding on eBay is already fierce, with eight bidders already up to $300,100 just over halfway through the auction. Judging by past final prices, this year's sale could be another record-breaker.
▲Image from: eBay
As a renowned investor and 'stock god', the opportunity to have lunch with Warren Buffett fetched a high price because it was a high-profile event and because of its pro bono nature, but also because bidders wanted to interact with or learn from Buffett's investment experience.
Over the years, there have been a number of 'interesting' lunchtime encounters at Smith & Wollensky Steakhouse with people who have had lunch with Warren Buffett.
▲Image from: TIME
The most recent and impressive time would have to be 2019, before the lunch charity auction was stopped by the epidemic. In May of that year, the opportunity to have lunch with Warren Buffett went to 'cryptocurrency person' Sun Yuchen, the founder of 'Wavefield TRON', for a sale price of $4,567,888.
▲Image from: Daily Economic News, Interface
But when the time came in July, Sun Yuchen suddenly said that he had to be treated in hospital for sudden kidney stones, so he had to cancel the lunch meeting with Mr. Buffett. Later, he said on Twitter that he was deeply guilty of over-marketing and enthusiastic hype.
A few months later, Sun Yuchen suddenly tweeted again that he had dined with Warren Buffett at a private country club.
▲ Image from: Twitter
Warren Buffett has also 'eaten' one of his right-hand men at charity lunches before. Hedge fund manager Ted Weschler got the chance to have lunch with Buffett in both the 2010 and 2011 bids.
Two lunches later, Weschler joined Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. in 2012, where he was responsible for the company's more than $100 billion in stocks, bonds and other investments.
▲Image from: Business Insider México
There have always been no restrictions on what Buffett can talk about during a meal, so to speak, so to speak. But he can't reveal his next investment choices and can't cover specific company stocks. I wonder who will win Buffett's 'last charity lunch' this year and what topics will be discussed at the table.