Key Takeaways
- • Warren Buffett told Bill Ackman he has not had water in roughly 48 to 50 years, according to a recollection Ackman shared on the Equity Mates Investing podcast.
- • Buffett, 96, retired as Berkshire Hathaway CEO after 60 years in charge in December 2025 and stepped down as chairman in September, per Business Insider.
- • Berkshire's roughly 9% Coca-Cola stake cost about $1.3 billion and was worth around $28 billion at the end of December, a roughly 21-fold gain.
- • Buffett has long been associated with Cherry Coke, which he declared the official drink of Berkshire's 1986 meeting after switching from Pepsi.
Summary
Business Insider reports that Warren Buffett has not had a glass of water since at least the 1970s, based on a account Bill Ackman gave on the Equity Mates Investing podcast. Ackman, the Pershing Square founder and CEO, said Buffett visited his home for dinner "years ago" and that he had stocked Cherry Coke, Buffett's preferred drink. When Ackman offered still or sparkling water, Buffett declined. Ackman recalled asking whether he drank water, and Buffett replied, "Bill, I haven't had water in 48 years." Ackman did not respond to a request for further detail.
The anecdote fits a long-documented soda habit. Buffett reportedly drinks five cans of Coke daily and said in 2015 that he was "one-quarter Coca-Cola," with Coke supplying about 25% of his daily calories. In 1986, at Berkshire's annual meeting, he said that after "48 years of allegiance" to Pepsi he was switching to Cherry Coke.
Coca-Cola is also one of Berkshire's landmark investments. The company has not sold its roughly 9% stake since completing the position in the mid-1990s. The stake cost about $1.3 billion and was valued at around $28 billion at the end of December, according to the report. Buffett retired as Berkshire CEO last December after 60 years leading the company and stepped down as chairman in September.
The article also notes Buffett's broader diet of fast food and sweets, including McDonald's breakfasts and comfort foods, and links it to Berkshire holdings such as See's Candies, Dairy Queen and Kraft Heinz. It recounts that Bill Gates and Melinda Gates arranged hamburgers, fries and Cherry Coke for Buffett during a 1995 trip to China.
The anecdote fits a long-documented soda habit. Buffett reportedly drinks five cans of Coke daily and said in 2015 that he was "one-quarter Coca-Cola," with Coke supplying about 25% of his daily calories. In 1986, at Berkshire's annual meeting, he said that after "48 years of allegiance" to Pepsi he was switching to Cherry Coke.
Coca-Cola is also one of Berkshire's landmark investments. The company has not sold its roughly 9% stake since completing the position in the mid-1990s. The stake cost about $1.3 billion and was valued at around $28 billion at the end of December, according to the report. Buffett retired as Berkshire CEO last December after 60 years leading the company and stepped down as chairman in September.
The article also notes Buffett's broader diet of fast food and sweets, including McDonald's breakfasts and comfort foods, and links it to Berkshire holdings such as See's Candies, Dairy Queen and Kraft Heinz. It recounts that Bill Gates and Melinda Gates arranged hamburgers, fries and Cherry Coke for Buffett during a 1995 trip to China.
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