Key Takeaways
- • Bill Ackman recounted on the Equity Mates Investing podcast that Warren Buffett told him, "Bill, I haven't had water in 48 years," after declining water at a dinner at Buffett's home.
- • Buffett, 96, has reportedly favored Cherry Coke since the 1980s, a switch that began after Don Keough, a former Coca-Cola president and Buffett's neighbor, played a role in the conversion.
- • Buffett crowned Cherry Coke the official drink of Berkshire Hathaway's 1986 shareholder meeting, per the article.
- • The article notes Buffett's diet also includes frequent McDonald's visits and Dairy Queen and See's Candies, both Berkshire-owned businesses.
- • Health experts cited in the article caution that replacing water with soda adds sugar, calories and acid, and that Buffett's habits are an outlier rather than a longevity model.
Summary
Bill Ackman recently repeated a claim about Warren Buffett's drinking habits on the Equity Mates Investing podcast. According to Ackman, he offered Buffett water, still or sparkling, at a dinner at Buffett's home, and Buffett declined and asked for his preferred carbonated drink. When Ackman asked whether he ever drank water, Buffett replied, "Bill, I haven't had water in 48 years." The Times of India article notes that this account rests on Ackman's recollection.
The article traces Buffett's soda preference to his childhood in Omaha, citing a Fortune report. He moved from Coca-Cola to Pepsi for decades before switching to Cherry Coke in the 1980s, a change the article attributes in part to Don Keough, a former Coca-Cola president and Buffett's neighbor. Buffett made Cherry Coke the official drink of Berkshire Hathaway's 1986 shareholder meeting. In a Fortune interview he joked that he drank five cans of Coke a day, about 260 calories each, and said he was "one quarter Coca-Cola." He drinks classic Coke at the office and Cherry Coke at home.
The article also describes a diet built on fast food and sweets, including McDonald's, Dairy Queen and See's Candies, all tied to Berkshire Hathaway businesses. In a CNBC interview, Buffett said a Cherry Coke and a hot fudge sundae, along with meaningful work, made him happier, and he has said he prefers enjoying life to pursuing longevity through restrictions. The article cautions that heavy soda consumption in place of water carries risks of weight gain, dental problems and metabolic strain, and it characterizes Buffett's habits as an outlier not suited as a general health model.
The article traces Buffett's soda preference to his childhood in Omaha, citing a Fortune report. He moved from Coca-Cola to Pepsi for decades before switching to Cherry Coke in the 1980s, a change the article attributes in part to Don Keough, a former Coca-Cola president and Buffett's neighbor. Buffett made Cherry Coke the official drink of Berkshire Hathaway's 1986 shareholder meeting. In a Fortune interview he joked that he drank five cans of Coke a day, about 260 calories each, and said he was "one quarter Coca-Cola." He drinks classic Coke at the office and Cherry Coke at home.
The article also describes a diet built on fast food and sweets, including McDonald's, Dairy Queen and See's Candies, all tied to Berkshire Hathaway businesses. In a CNBC interview, Buffett said a Cherry Coke and a hot fudge sundae, along with meaningful work, made him happier, and he has said he prefers enjoying life to pursuing longevity through restrictions. The article cautions that heavy soda consumption in place of water carries risks of weight gain, dental problems and metabolic strain, and it characterizes Buffett's habits as an outlier not suited as a general health model.
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