'What if my father was a plumber?' Why Warren Buffett calls himself one of the world’s 10 luckiest people

Legendary investor and billionaire Warren Buffett called himself one of the 10 luckiest people on Earth, as he expressed gratitude for being exposed to the field of investing very early on, although he called it an "accident".

The 95-year-old, in a recent interview, said he has been lucky to be in a field that intrigued him, and where he had some natural ability that paid off like nothing else. Speaking to CNBC, he said that the field requires more talent than he has, and fortunately he was exposed to what he liked to do very early on.

"If my father had been a plumber, I would not have had the same advantage I had. So I was incredibly lucky. And then, as life has gone along, I have seen how unbelievably unlucky some people have been," he said during the interview with CNBC.

Warren Buffett says he’s lucky and healthy to get to 95

The legendary investor who is set to turn 96 next month, said he is lucky and healthy to get to 95. "I am losing marbles at this point. I accumulated marbles for a longer time than I deserved. And that is just a matter of luck," he said during his interview with CNBC.


This comes as the billionaire steps back from Berkshire Hathaway’s top post, although his investing principles continue to be followed widely and are expected to be etched in history for generations to come.

Warren Buffett's first stock pick

Warren Buffett bought his first stock at the age of 11, buying shares of natural gas company Cities Service for $38 apiece in 1942, just after Japanese air forces attacked the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, amid the raging World War II. In a previous interview, he however expressed regret in his stock selection and timing. "If I put that $114 into the S&P 500 at that time, and reinvested the dividends, think of a figure as to what it would be worth today?" he said.

"The answer is about $400,000. So if I as a little kid had taken that 114 bucks I would have saved shoveling snow or whatever I had done — $400,000 today. One person's lifetime. That's America,” he further said during the 2018 interview.

Also read | What Warren Buffett learnt from buying his first stock at age of 11 amid World War II

Warren Buffett's philanthropy

Apart from his incredible investing skills, the billionaire is also known for his philanthropic ideals. In 2006, he made a commitment to gradually give all of his Berkshire Hathaway stock to philanthropic foundations. He pledged to donate more than 99% of his fortune to charitable causes during his lifetime and after his death.

Earlier this month, Buffett said he is donating nearly $6 billion of Berkshire Hathaway stock, consisting of 12 million Class B shares, in his annual mid-year donation to four family foundations overseen by his daughter Susie and sons Howard and Peter. His announcement did not mention Gates Foundation, which has received more than $47 billion of the Berkshire stock since Buffett said in a 2006 letter he was "irrevocably committing" to donate shares throughout his life.

"Of course, mortality is unpredictable, but my remaining shares will be donated to the four foundations one way or the other by ‌December 31, 2034," 95-year-old Buffett said ⁠in a statement earlier this month. The ‘Oracle of Omaha’ is currently the ninth richest person in the world with a net worth of $149 billion, according to Forbes. Bill Gates meanwhile holds the 19th spot with a net worth of $108 billion.

Also read | Warren Buffett admits to a rare mistake with these 2 big tech stock bets

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