What's the special "Million Dollar Lunch" with Warren Buffett?
Every year, many are willing to bid millions of dollars for the opportunity to have lunch with legendary investor Warren Buffett.
In the past 19 years, billionaire Warren Buffett has auctioned a lunch with him to raise money for charitable activities. The winning price over the years has skyrocketed.
Pete Budlong, a technology entrepreneur in San Francisco, was the first to win a lunch with billionaire Warren Buffett in 2000. At that time, he had to pay $ 25,000. In 2017, the winner had to spend nearly $ 2.7 million. The whole amount is used for the Glide anti-poverty organization that Warren Buffett and his late wife are members.
But the high bid does not affect the meal menu. Most of the dishes remain the same, in line with the traditional and simple style of the billionaire.
Here are the restaurants where the Omaha Omaha charity lunch has taken place over the past 17 years.
- Eat steak at Smith & Wollensky Restaurant, New York
The Smith & Wollensky Steak House in New York has been serving Buffett's charity lunches since 2004 and donates at least $ 10,000 to Glide each year.
The warrior can bring 7 of his friends to a meal and call whatever he likes from the lobster menu to the loin.
According to Buffett's billionaire in 2007, Buffett often chose a medium-rare steak with potatoes and cherry coke. In addition, the Smith & Wollensky restaurant confirms the preferred beef steak made from beef tenderloin.
When using dessert, the billionaire often asked the waitress to bring him a spoon: "I will taste a dessert of each person a little."
When the billionaire had lunch at a restaurant, it was a very happy day. Last year, the billionaire lunch occurred right in his birth. So the restaurant prepared a special birthday cake for him.
- Eat steak at the Piccolo Restaurant, Omaha
Warren Buffett is a regular customer of the Piccolo restaurant in Omaha for six years before it closes in 2016. The store has an 81-year history.
"Warren Buffett often chooses steak with lemon and beer," says former store manager Sheehan Scoot. Piccolo is home to Warren Buffett's billionaire lunch in 2010 and 2011 with the same man in both years - Ted Weschler. He headed a hedge fund in Charlottesville, Virginia. In 2010 he won the auction at $ 2,626,311 and in 2011 was $ 2,626,411, up $ 100.
"After the winner, Warren Buffett called me and said he was happy to have dinner at Charlottesville, but I declined and suggested that I go to Omaha for a meal with him, We had dinner at Piccolo instead of a lunch and the meeting was not public, "Ted said.
Local people regularly see Buffett dine at Piccolo, sometimes with celebrity friends. Ryan Basye, a real estate developer in Nebraska, used to take self-portrait pictures with Warren Buffet and Bill Gates at the restaurant a few years ago.
"I live in Omaha so sometimes I see him, we're even close to where he was sitting with Bill Gates at a table and I was at another table so I decided to take a picture but of course Do not bother with them, "CNBC Make It quoted Basye.
- Eat Steaks at the Stars Restaurant, San Francisco
In 2000, Budlong had the opportunity to dine with Buffett for $ 25,000 at the Stars, San Francisco. The restaurant is owned by Chef Jerremiah Tower, famous for California specialties and serving famous A-listers.
For lunch 18 years ago, Warren Buffett also chose steak. "But it was a pretty tedious lunch," said Pete Budlong, the first person to have lunch with billionaire Warren Buffett.