Key Takeaways
- • Bill Ackman recounted on a podcast that Warren Buffett, 96, has not drunk water in roughly 50 years, though it remains unclear whether Buffett was joking.
- • Buffett reportedly drinks five cans of Coca-Cola a day; in 2015 he said he was "one-quarter Coca-Cola," with the beverage accounting for 25 percent of his daily caloric intake.
- • Berkshire Hathaway built a US$1.3 billion position in Coca-Cola between 1988 and 1989 and has held a roughly 9 percent stake since, a holding that has returned roughly 21 times the initial investment.
- • Buffett's diet includes McDonald's breakfasts and junk food staples, and his food preferences align with portfolio holdings such as See's Candies, Dairy Queen, and Kraft Heinz.
Summary
Bill Ackman, the hedge fund manager, said on a podcast that Warren Buffett, the 96-year-old chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, has not consumed a glass of water in 50 years. Ackman recalled a dinner at his home with Buffett, during which he asked whether Buffett preferred still or sparkling water. Buffett declined both and requested Cherry Coke. Ackman said Buffett replied that he had not had any water in 48 years. The article notes it is unclear whether Buffett was joking.
Buffett's soda consumption is well documented. He drinks five cans of Coca-Cola a day and, in 2015, described himself as "one-quarter Coca-Cola," noting the beverage accounted for 25 percent of his daily caloric intake. He had been a Pepsi loyalist for 48 years before publicly switching to Cherry Coke at the 1986 Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting.
Coca-Cola is also among Berkshire's most successful investments. According to the report, Berkshire built a US$1.3 billion (HK$10.14 billion) position between 1988 and 1989 and has held a roughly 9 percent stake since, generating a return of roughly 21 times the initial investment.
Buffett's diet otherwise leans heavily on high-calorie foods. He routinely stops at McDonald's for breakfast on the way to work, and his staples include hot dogs, French fries, popcorn, cookies, candy, and ice cream. The article notes these preferences often align with his portfolio, which includes See's Candies, Dairy Queen, and a major stake in Kraft Heinz.
According to his biography, Buffett once refused to eat Japanese food after a 1989 dinner hosted by then-Sony chairman Akio Morita at Morita's New York apartment, where four chefs prepared a 15-course sushi meal. Buffett left without eating, calling it the "worst experience ever." During a 17-day trip to China in 1995 with Bill Gates, hotel chefs were trained to cook hamburgers and French fries, and a chilled Cherry Coke was reportedly waiting for him atop the Great Wall.
Buffett's soda consumption is well documented. He drinks five cans of Coca-Cola a day and, in 2015, described himself as "one-quarter Coca-Cola," noting the beverage accounted for 25 percent of his daily caloric intake. He had been a Pepsi loyalist for 48 years before publicly switching to Cherry Coke at the 1986 Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting.
Coca-Cola is also among Berkshire's most successful investments. According to the report, Berkshire built a US$1.3 billion (HK$10.14 billion) position between 1988 and 1989 and has held a roughly 9 percent stake since, generating a return of roughly 21 times the initial investment.
Buffett's diet otherwise leans heavily on high-calorie foods. He routinely stops at McDonald's for breakfast on the way to work, and his staples include hot dogs, French fries, popcorn, cookies, candy, and ice cream. The article notes these preferences often align with his portfolio, which includes See's Candies, Dairy Queen, and a major stake in Kraft Heinz.
According to his biography, Buffett once refused to eat Japanese food after a 1989 dinner hosted by then-Sony chairman Akio Morita at Morita's New York apartment, where four chefs prepared a 15-course sushi meal. Buffett left without eating, calling it the "worst experience ever." During a 17-day trip to China in 1995 with Bill Gates, hotel chefs were trained to cook hamburgers and French fries, and a chilled Cherry Coke was reportedly waiting for him atop the Great Wall.
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