Glide nets $1 million for Buffett lunch
A donor paid the Glide Foundation $1,000,100 in exchange for a lunch with Warren Buffett.
A donor paid the Glide Foundation $1,000,100 in exchange for a lunch with Warren Buffett.
San Francisco’s Glide Foundation received a $1 million auction bid for an opportunity to lunch and chat with Warren Buffett, widely considered one of the most successful investors of all time.
An anonymous one-percenter paid $1,000,100 for the ultimate in power lunches with the legendary investor, the so-called “Oracle of Omaha.”
The auction is part of an annual charity event to benefit the Glide Foundation, a charitable group that’s been helping the homeless and disenfranchised for decades.
Glide’s Co-Founder and “Minister of Liberation” Reverend Cecil Williams said:
“We appreciate all of the bidders and Warren Buffett’s 15-year investment in our neighborhood and community. Through Mr. Buffett’s dedication and the generosity of the winning bidders, we have been able to bring people together in a powerfully human way to help our neighbors in need gain control of their lives and have a fresh start.”
After Wednesday’s lunch with the unnamed donor at Smith & Wollensky, a pricey steakhouse in New York City, Buffet told financial news network CNBC:
“Lunch was great. I always have a good time.”
Buffett has been hosting the lunch since 2000 when his now-deceased first wife, Susan Buffett, a philanthropist and strong supporter of Glide, started the charitable luncheon.
This year’s bid was far below the event’s all time high in 2012 of $3,456,789, but was well over the lowest bid ever of $25,000.
Located in San Francisco’s gritty Tenderloin District, the Glide Foundation and its Glide Memorial Church has been helping the hungry, homeless and the poor for 50 years.
Glide serves about 850,000 free meals every year, helps thousands of people stay off the streets, provides medical care and other services.
Bidding for the the next charity luncheon auction begins on Sunday, June 1 and runs through Friday, June 7 at 7:30 p.m. The minimum bid is $25,000.
For more information visit: GlideLunchWithWarrenBuffett.com.
John Marshall is an SFBay editor and producer and writer for San Francisco’s KGO Radio. Follow him on Twitter @breakingnewsman.
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