Bill Gates Found Solace in Warren Buffett Company

A new book has illuminated the intricacies of Bill Gates’s work routine, revealing that the Microsoft cofounder’s schedule was meticulously broken down into five-minute increments.

However, amidst this highly structured lifestyle, Gates found a unique escape in his meetings with fellow billionaire Warren Buffett.

The Escape to Omaha:

In the book “Billionaire, Nerd, Savior, King: Bill Gates and his Quest to Shape the World,” New York Times correspondent Anupreeta Das claims that Bill Gates often used his visits to Warren Buffett in Omaha as a reprieve from his tightly scheduled life.

Gates would take his private jet to Omaha to spend time with Buffett, stepping away from the responsibilities and the rigorously planned life largely organized by his then-wife, Melinda French Gates.

Contrasting Approaches to Life:

The book highlights a significant difference in how Gates and Buffett approached their lives and schedules.

When Buffett questioned Gates about why he couldn’t take control of his life and live on his terms, Gates simply shrugged it off.

“Bill likes to have a schedule; I don’t,” Buffett mentioned in an email, encapsulating the stark contrast between their lifestyles.

A Bond Beyond Business:

The friendship between Gates and Buffett went beyond business meetings. Buffett would sometimes pick Gates up from the airport, and they would engage in “freewheeling conversations” during their visits.

According to the book, when Gates couldn’t make the trip to Omaha, they maintained their bond by playing bridge together online.

A Lesson in Scheduling:

Despite their close relationship, the book notes that Buffett has since resigned from the Gates Foundation, and reports suggest that their friendship has cooled over the years.

Reflecting on their different approaches to scheduling, Gates acknowledged in May that he could have learned a valuable lesson from Buffett much earlier.

“It took far too long for me to realize that you don’t have to fill every second of your schedule to be successful,” Gates remarked, acknowledging the wisdom in Buffett’s intentionally light calendar.