A lucky, and very wealthy, person bid more than $19 million to dine with Warren Buffett, in the 21st and final time that the billionaire businessman auctioned a private lunch to benefit a San Francisco charity.
The winning bid in the eBay auction that ended on Friday night far surpassed the previous record of $4.57m, paid in 2019 by cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun, although the new winner's identity could not immediately be determined.
Proceeds benefit Glide, a non-profit in San Francisco's Tenderloin district that helps the poor, homeless or those battling substance abuse. Glide offers meals, shelter, HIV and hepatitis C tests, job-training and children's programmes.
Mr Buffett, 91, the chairman and chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway, has raised more than $53.2m for Glide in the 21 auctions, which began in 2000.
An eBay spokeswoman said the lunch was the most expensive item ever sold on the company's website to benefit charity.
No auctions were held in 2020 and 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mr Buffett became a supporter of Glide after his first wife Susan, who died in 2004, introduced him to the charity, where she had been volunteering.
He has also pledged to give away nearly all of his fortune. Mr Buffett was worth $93.4 billion on Friday, ranking seventh worldwide, Forbes magazine reported.
This year's auction winner and up to seven guests will dine with Mr Buffett at the Smith & Wollensky steakhouse in Manhattan.
Mr Buffett will talk about almost anything, but not where he may invest next.
Hedge fund managers David Einhorn and Ted Weschler are among previous auction winners.
Mr Weschler became a Berkshire portfolio manager after paying a combined $5.25m to win the 2010 and 2011 auctions.
Berkshire owns dozens of companies including the BNSF railroad, Geico car insurance, energy, manufacturing and retail businesses, and stocks such as Apple and Bank of America.
Mr Buffett still owns nearly 16 per cent of the Omaha, Nebraska-based conglomerate, despite having donated more than half of his shares since 2006, including $4bn on June 14.
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Crops that could be introduced to the UAE
1: Quinoa
2. Bathua
3. Amaranth
4. Pearl and finger millet
5. Sorghum
Step by step
2070km to run
38 days
273,600 calories consumed
28kg of fruit
40kg of vegetables
45 pairs of running shoes
1 yoga matt
1 oxygen chamber
