{"id":43897,"date":"2023-10-20T15:31:57","date_gmt":"2023-10-20T15:31:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/startupsmart.test\/2023\/10\/20\/five-things-bill-gates-has-learnt-from-25-years-of-friendship-with-investor-warren-buffett-startupsmart\/"},"modified":"2023-10-20T15:31:57","modified_gmt":"2023-10-20T15:31:57","slug":"five-things-bill-gates-has-learnt-from-25-years-of-friendship-with-investor-warren-buffett-startupsmart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/uncategorized\/five-things-bill-gates-has-learnt-from-25-years-of-friendship-with-investor-warren-buffett-startupsmart\/","title":{"rendered":"Five things Bill Gates has learnt from 25 years of friendship with investor Warren Buffett – StartupSmart"},"content":{"rendered":"
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To mark the 25th anniversary of his friendship with beloved investor Warren Buffett, Bill Gates has shared their most cherished moments together on his blog.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t remember the exact day I first met most of my friends, but with Warren Buffet I do,\u201d Gates said on Gates Notes,<\/em> recalling meeting Buffett for the first time on July 5, 1991.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the date stands out in my mind so clearly because it marked the beginning of a new and unexpected friendship for Melinda and me.\u201d<\/p>\n

These are five key lessons Gates says he has learnt from his friendship with the Oracle of Omaha.<\/p>\n

1. People you think you have nothing in common with can offer surprising value<\/h3>\n

When Gates first met Buffett in 1991, he did so begrudgingly on the request of his mother.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook, he just buys and sells pieces of paper. That\u2019s not real value added. I don\u2019t think we\u2019d have much in common,\u201d Gates says.<\/p>\n

But he was pleasantly surprised.<\/p>\n

During their first conversation Gates loved how Buffett looked at the world and says the pair got \u201clost in conversation\u201d for hours.<\/p>\n

\n

I\u2019ll never forget the first time I met @WarrenBuffett. It\u2019s been an amazing 25 years: https:\/\/t.co\/YjccRhpMnb #TBT pic.twitter.com\/IFp5umyRLa<\/p>\n

— Bill Gates (@BillGates) July 7, 2016<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

2. No matter how big you get, always be humble<\/h3>\n

On meeting Buffett, Gates was enlightened with questions no one else had asked him, like why his small software business Microsoft thought it could compete with the likes of IBM, what the skill sets at his company were and how its pricing worked.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe didn\u2019t come across as a big shot investor,\u201d Gates says.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe had this modest way of talking about what he does.\u201d<\/p>\n

3. Stay connected to your inner child<\/h3>\n

According to Gates, Buffett mostly lives on hamburgers, ice cream and Coke, all things he loved to eat and drink as a child.<\/p>\n

One of the first times he stayed at Gates\u2019 house, Buffett ate Oreos for breakfast.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur kids immediately demanded they have some too,\u201d Gates says.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe may set a poor example for young people, but it\u2019s a diet that somehow works for him.\u201d<\/p>\n

4. Learn and laugh more<\/h3>\n

Gates says learning and laughing are two things no one can overdo, and it\u2019s a lesson no one teaches better than his friend Buffett.<\/p>\n

One of Buffett\u2019s many gifts is his ability to make learning with him fun, so much so that people are drawn to him, says Gates.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf Warren has time for a call, it\u2019s the highlight of my week,\u201d says Gates.<\/p>\n

Surrounding yourself with people who are passionate and well read in issues you want to grow your knowledge in makes for an exceptional relationship and way of learning, Gates says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWarren and I love to talk about companies, politics, world events, and new innovations,\u201d says Gates.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s got that economic investor\u2019s eye and I have much more of a technologist\u2019s eye towards things.”<\/p>\n

\n

Warren Buffett loves to play the ukulele. He asked me to sing along in our first #VR video: https:\/\/t.co\/VZE9h0KWcu pic.twitter.com\/ZsuJ6Dhxhb<\/p>\n

— Bill Gates (@BillGates) July 6, 2016<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

5. Invest in friendship<\/h3>\n

\u201cEven though he keeps up a hectic schedule, Warren finds time to nurture friendships like few other people I know,\u201d Gates says.<\/p>\n

This captures the biggest lesson Gates says he has learnt from Buffett: the power of friendship.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s about being the kind of friend you wish you had yourself. Everyone should be lucky enough to have a friend who is as thoughtful and kind as Warren,\u201d says Gates.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe goes out of his way to make people feel good about themselves and share his joy about life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

I met @WarrenBuffett 25 years ago today. We\u2019ve been laughing & learning together ever since: https:\/\/t.co\/1bSS9DQYqf pic.twitter.com\/9sBOKt821U<\/p>\n

— Bill Gates (@BillGates) July 5, 2016<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This article was first published on SmartCompany.<\/em><\/p>\n

Follow StartupSmart on<\/em> Facebook,<\/em> Twitter, <\/em>LinkedIn <\/em>and <\/em>SoundCloud.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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