Mystery bidder agrees to pay $ 4.57 million for a private lunch with Warren Buffett

An anonymous bidder has agreed to pay a record $ 4,567,888 at an annual charity auction for a private luncheon with Warren Buffett, billionaire president of Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

The winning bid, which had been submitted during a five-day online auction on eBay and completed Friday night, was nearly a third higher than the previous record of $ 3,356,789. Auction Auction 2012 and 2016.

The benefits will accrue to the Glide Foundation, a charitable organization in San Francisco's Tenderloin District, serving the poor, homeless or those struggling with substance abuse.

Buffett, 88, has raised approximately $ 34.2 million for Glide in 20 annual auctions, which began in 2000 and were transferred to eBay in 2003. His first wife, Susan, died in 2004, introduced him to Glide. after volunteering for charity.

"Mr. Buffett is delighted, we just talked to him," Glide president Karen Hanrahan told Reuters at the end of the auction. "Mr. Buffett is committed to continuing the auction as long as he can, and he has been a thoughtful partner in thinking about the future of the Glide and how to prepare it for the future." Next 50 years. "

The winning bidder and up to seven friends can dine at Smith & Wollensky's steakhouse restaurant in Manhattan with Buffett, who said he would discuss anything other than his next investments.

This year's auction attracted 18 bids from five bidders.

The best bid would also be sufficient for the purchase of 15 Clbad A or 23,137 Clbad B shares of Berkshire, based in Omaha, Nebraska, which has more than 90 activities, including the automobile insurer Geico and the BNSF railway.

Past winners include hedge fund manager David Einhorn of Greenlight Capital in 2003 and Ted Weschler, who is now one of Buffett's portfolio managers at Berkshire in 2010 and 2011.

Glide's budget covers approximately 2,000 free meals a day, shelter, HIV and hepatitis C testing, job training, as well as child care and day care programs.

"What this means for us as an organization: it's huge," said Hanrahan, referring to the auction. "It will help many thousands of people in this city."

According to Glide, these bidders won their bids:

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

2004: Jason Choo, Singapore, $ 202,100

2005: Anonymous, $ 351,100

2006: Yongping Duan, California, $ 620,100

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

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

2012: Anonymous, $ 3,356,789

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, $ 3,356,789

2017: anonymous, $ 2,679,001

2018: Anonymous, $ 3,300,100

2019: Anonymous, $ 4,567,888

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