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Warren Buffett is the world's sixth-richest man. Here's how the notoriously frugal billionaire spends his $84.6 billion fortune.

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Warren Buffett

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Warren Buffett, age 90, has some advice for the youth: read extensively, polish your communication skills, and find a job you love.

That's the guidance he offered in a virtual commencement address on Saturday to students graduating from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln — his alma mater.

Buffett would know all about success. The Berkshire Hathaway chairman and CEO is the sixth-richest man in the world, with an estimated net worth of $84.6 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. But you wouldn't know it from Buffett's frugal ways.

Still living in the house he bought in the 1950s and driving an equally modest car, the Oracle of Omaha prefers to keep and grow his money rather than take it out of the bank. He eats McDonald's for breakfast every morning and borrowed furniture when his children were born.

See how Buffett spends — or doesn't spend — his billions.

SEE ALSO: Bill Gates has been unseated as the world's second-richest person. Here's how he spends his $129 billion fortune, from a luxury-car collection to incredible real estate.

DON'T MISS: Elon Musk might be here to stay as the world's second-richest person

Warren Buffett has a net worth of $84.6 billion, making him the world's sixth-richest person.

Source: Bloomberg Billionaires Index



His net worth dropped by more than $20 billion to $67.6 billion in the first three months of 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. He's since regained the loss, but lost his spot as the world's third-richest person.

Source: Bloomberg Billionaires Index



The CEO of Berkshire Hathaway began building his wealth by investing in the stock market at age 11.

Source: Forbes



As a teenager, he was raking in about $175 a month by delivering "The Washington Post"— more than his teachers (and most adults).

Source: Business Insider



He had amassed the equivalent of $53,000 by the time he was just 16.

Source: Business Insider



But 99% of his wealth was earned after his 50th birthday.

Source: Business Insider



He reportedly earns a salary of $100,000 at Berkshire Hathaway.

Source: GOBankingRates



And in 2013, Buffett made on average $37 million per day — more than what Jennifer Lawrence made the entire year.

Source: MarketWatch



His wealth is greater than the GDP of Uruguay.

Source: Business Insider



But you wouldn't know Buffett is a billionaire by the way he spends his money.



He previously told CNBC and Yahoo Finance's "Off the Cuff" that he's "never had any great desire to have multiple houses and all kinds of things and multiple cars."

Source: CNBC



Buffett lives in a modest home in Omaha, Nebraska, which he bought for $31,500 in 1958. Adjusted for inflation, it's about $276,700 in today's dollars.

Source: Business Insider



As of 2017, it was worth an estimated $652,619, what he calls the "third-best investment he's ever made."

Source: Business Insider



The home spans 6,570 square feet. It has five bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms.

Source: Business Insider



It's also guarded by fences and security cameras.

Source: Business Insider



In 1971, Buffett purchased a vacation home in Laguna Beach, California, for $150,000.

Source: Business Insider



Part of a gated community called Emerald Bay, it's walking distance from the beach.

Source: Business Insider



According to the listing, the home comes with a $9,264 annual association fee, which grants him access to nearby amenities like a pool and spa, picnic area, playground, and tennis court.

Source: Business Insider



It has 3,500 square feet of living space and six bedrooms. Buffett has renovated it since his initial purchase.

Source: Business Insider



Each bedroom has its own en-suite bathroom.

Source: Business Insider



It's secluded and has plenty of wide-open windows for views of the sea.

Source: Business Insider



It's also secluded and simply decorated, mirroring Buffett's simple spending habits.

Source: Business Insider



He put it on the market for $11 million in early 2017, but cut it down to $3 million later that year.

Source: Business Insider



After nearly two years on the market, it finally sold in October 2018 for $7.5 million.

Source: Business Insider



Buffett also has a modest set of wheels. He previously drove a 2006 Cadillac DTS.

Source: GOBankingRates, US News & World Report



In 2014, he replaced it with a Cadillac XTS, which has an original starting price of $44,600.

Source: GOBankingRates, US News & World Report



He also buys beat-up cars — like hail-damaged cars — at reduced prices and is reluctant to replace them, daughter Susie Buffett said in a BBC documentary.

Source: GOBankingRates



"The truth is, I only drive about 3,500 miles a year so I will buy a new car very infrequently," Buffett once told Forbes.

Source: Forbes



He once auctioned his car for $73,200.

Source: Reuters



His Lincoln Town Car once had a license plate that read "THRIFTY."

Source: The Wall Street Journal



Buffett doesn't spend much on technology, at least when it comes to his mobile phone. Until 2020, he a flip phone instead of a smartphone.

Source: Business Insider



Buffett isn't a fan of high-end designer suits. He only wears suits — of which he owns about 20 — made in China by designer Madame Li.

Source: CNBC



Buffett tops off his style with an $18 hair cut.

Source: Marketwatch



Buffett eats the same thing every morning for breakfast — McDonald's. He spends no more than $3.17 on his order.

Source: Business Insider



He also likes to treat his buddy Bill Gates to lunch at McDonald's — which he's paid for with coupons in the past.

Source: GOBankingRates



Buffett is also a thoughtful friend without spending a lot of money. He picks Gates up at the airport, calls him, and sends him news clippings via snail mail.

Source: GOBankingRates



Buffett also dines at the modest Gorat's steakhouse, his favorite. The menu ranges from $3 to $41.

Source: CNBC, Gorat's



Buffett is also a fan of Coca Cola; he has said he typically drinks five Cokes a day — so you can imagine he spends more on the beverage than the average person.

Source: GOBankingRates



Compared to other CEOs, Buffett doesn't spend a whole lot on his hobbies. He plays bridge for about 12 hours a week.

Source: Business Insider



Buffett also likes to hit the green for some golf — but he doesn't spend his money on fancy golf clubs.

Source: GOBankingRates



"I'm a member of every golf club that I want to be a member of […] I'd rather play golf here with people I like than at the fanciest golf course in the world," he once said in a Q&A.

Source: GOBankingRates



He also puts a lot of money toward books. He's said he has a "disgusting pile" of books by his chair, and he spends 80% of his day reading.

Source: Business Insider, CNBC



Buffett also loves to play the ukulele. Girls Inc of Omaha once hosted a ukulele concert as a benefit for Buffett, in which they earned $344.23 in donations.

Source: Reuters



He took the money and purchased 17 Hilo ukuleles for the group — but not without demanding a discount because he was buying in bulk.

Source: Reuters



He's even frugal when it comes to his kids — he fashioned a dresser drawer into a bassinet for his firstborn, Susie.

Source: GOBankingRates



For his second born, Howard G. Buffett, he borrowed a crib.

Source: GOBankingRates



Buffett once spent $100 to take a Dale Carnegie course on public speaking. It helped him propose to his wife, he said.

Source: Business Insider



The one thing Buffett has splurged on is a private jet. He told CNBC, it's "the only thing that I do that costs a lot of money."

Source: CNBC



But that wouldn't be possible without his wise investing strategies. While 99% of Buffett's net worth is tied to Berkshire Hathaway, he invests the other 1%.

Source: Forbes



He purchased shares in Wells Fargo "a long, long time ago," but it's unclear what his stake in the company is.

Source: Forbes



He also purchased two million shares — an 8% stake — in Seritage Growth Properties for a total estimated cost of $73 million.

Source: Forbes



He also owns an undisclosed amount of JPMorgan stock. He's said to be a fan of the bank's CEO, Jamie Dimon.

Source: The Motley Fool



But not all his investments have been wise — back in 1951, he bought a Sinclair gas station with a friend. The Texaco station across the street was more popular, and he lost $2,000 out of his $9,600 savings.

Source: Forbes



Buffett spends most of his billions on philanthropy; he's considered one of the most generous philanthropists in the world, having donated more than $46 billion to causes since 2000.

Source: CNBC



He teamed up with Bill and Melinda Gates in 2010 to form The Giving Pledge, an initiative that asks the world's wealthiest people to dedicate the majority of their wealth to philanthropy.

Source: Business Insider



In 2016, he donated $2.9 billion to various charities, including The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, in honor of his late wife.

Source: Business Insider



Buffett, through the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, has donated tens of millions to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the National Abortion Federation.

Source: Inside Philanthropy



He donated even more to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2018 — around $2.6 billion worth of Berkshire Hathaway stock.

Source: FORTUNE



That same week, he donated about $800 million in Berkshire Hathaway stocks to the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, Sherwood Foundation, Howard G. Buffett Foundation, and NoVo Foundation.

Source: FORTUNE



Buffett donated another $3.6 billion in Berkshire Hathaway shares to those organizations in June 2019.

Source: Markets Insider



In July of 2020, he made his 15th annual donation. He donated $2.9 billion to four family charities and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Source: Reuters



Buffett only plans to leave his kids $2 billion each; the rest of his fortune will be donated to philanthropic causes. He once said he wants to leave his children "enough money so that they would feel they could do anything, but not so much that they could do nothing."

Source: The Washington Post



There is one thing money does buy for Buffett personally, he said in a CNBC interview: freedom.

Source: CNBC



"My life couldn't be happier" he once said. "In fact, it'd be worse if I had six or eight houses. So, I have everything I need to have, and I don't need any more because it doesn't make a difference after a point."

Source: CNBC




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