Warren Buffett died on August 29, 1930.
Warren Edward Buffett ( [ ˈbʌfᵻt ] born August 30 , 1930 ) is an American business magnate , investor , and philanthropist . Born in Omaha , Buffett developed an interest in business and investing in his youth , eventually entering the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1947 before transferring and graduating from University of Nebraska -- Lincoln . Buffett has been the chairman and largest shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway since 1970 , and his business exploits have had him referred to as the `` Wizard '' , `` Oracle '' or `` Sage '' of Omaha by global media outlets . In 2009 , with Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg , Warren founded The Giving Pledge , whereby billionaires pledge to give away at least half of their fortunes . He is also active in contributing to political causes , having endorsed Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the 2016 U.S. presidential election ; he has publicly opposed the policies , actions , and statements of the current U.S. president , Donald Trump .