Billionaire investor Warren Buffett has reportedly gone 48 years without drinking plain water, relying instead on his beloved soft drinks, while also vowing never to eat Japanese cuisine again following one particularly unpleasant sushi experience.
According to a November 2 report by China News Service, citing Business Insider, the 96-year-old investment legend shared his unusual drinking habit with billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman.
Ackman recalled inviting Buffett to his home for dinner several years ago, where he had prepared Cherry Coke, one of the billionaire’s favourite drinks.
After they sat down, Ackman offered Buffett either still or sparkling water. Buffett politely declined and opted for his preferred soft drink instead.
Curious, Ackman asked whether he ever drank water.
“Bill, I haven’t drunk water in 48 years,” Buffett reportedly replied.
Buffett is famously known for drinking around five cans of Coca-Cola daily. In 2015, he jokingly described himself as being “one-quarter Coca-Cola”, saying the drink accounted for around 25% of his daily calorie intake.
His affection for fizzy drinks dates back decades. At Berkshire Hathaway’s 1986 annual shareholders’ meeting, Buffett announced that after 48 years of loyalty to Pepsi-Cola, he was switching to Cherry Coke.
He also declared Cherry Coke the official drink of future shareholders’ meetings.
Soft drinks are just one part of Buffett’s famously unconventional eating habits. He regularly picks up McDonald’s for breakfast on his way to work and enjoys hot dogs, chips, popcorn, biscuits, sweets, ice cream and other comfort foods.
The billionaire has repeatedly expressed confidence in his dietary choices, suggesting that eating what makes him happy contributes to his well-being.
In an interview with Fortune magazine, Buffett once joked that research had shown six to be the age with the lowest mortality rate.
“So I decided to eat like a six-year-old. It’s the safest course I can take,” he said.
His unusual diet attracted widespread attention in 2019, when reports about his longevity habits went viral on Weibo.
At the time, Buffett was 88 and his routine of eating McDonald’s three times a week and drinking five cans of Coca-Cola daily surprised many online users.
Some jokingly dubbed him a “hardcore grandpa”, while others quipped that copying his habits could leave them “poor and overweight” rather than wealthy and long-lived.
Despite his fondness for food and drinks high in sugar and salt, Buffett reportedly does not drink alcohol.
His dislike of Japanese cuisine, meanwhile, dates back to a disappointing sushi dinner in 1989.
Following the meal, Buffett vowed never to eat Japanese food again.
“This was the worst I’ve ever had. I’ve had similar things before, but this was definitely the worst. I’ll never eat Japanese food again,” he reportedly said.
