Someone Paid $3.46 Million To Eat Lunch Warren Buffett | Celebrity Net Worth 2026

Biography & Early Wealth Journey

2000: Pete Budlong, $25,000

2001: Jim Halperin and Scott Tilson, $20,000

2002: Jim Halperin and Scott Tilson, $25,000

2003: David Einhorn, Greenlight Capital, $250,100

Primary Income Streams & Multi-Million Contracts

2004: Jason Choo, Singapore, $202,100

2005: Anonymous, $351,100

2006: Yongping Duan, California, $620,100

2007: Mohnish Pabrai, Guy Spier, Harina Kapoor, $650,100

Real Estate, Luxury Assets & Personal Investments

2008: Zhao Danyang, Pure Heart Asset Management, China, $2,110,100

2009: Courtenay Wolfe, Salida Capital, Canada, $1,680,300

2010: Ted Weschler, $2,626,311

2011: Ted Weschler, $2,626,411

Wealth Trajectory & Future Earnings Projections

2012: Anonymous, $3,456,789

2013: Anonymous, $1,000,100

2014: Andy Chua, Singapore, $2,166,766

2015: Zhu Ye, Dalian Zeus Entertainment Co, China, $2,345,678

2016: Anonymous, $3,456,789

Just imagine that 16 years ago, you could get lunch with Warren Buffett for just twenty grand – talk about inflation. As for what the lunch actually consists of, the anonymous winner and as many as seven friends will enjoy a meal at Manhattan's Smith & Wollensky steakhouse with Buffett, and the only conversational taboo is future investments planned by Buffett (whether or not the lunch may prove ultimately profitable in some other way is probably a matter of luck).

Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Fortune/Time Inc

Even if the lunch doesn't produce any hot stock tips, it's money well spent, going toward Glide's mission of providing medical service, food, and after school educational programs for those who can't afford to pay for the services for themselves or for their children. Buffett evidently agrees, since he's consistently put himself on the auction block for 16 years, having raised almost $24 million for the charity since the project started. Rev. Cecil Williams is the co-founder of Glide and the pastor of the Glide Memorial United Methodist Church, going back 50 years, and he's cited by Reuters as confirming the importance of these Buffett lunches to the charity, providing as they do a consistent cash infusion going towards their yearly budget that's now at about $17 million. Plus, there's a great steak in the bargain, too.