While the billionaire club is pretty exclusive, it turns out there’s a surprising common thread between Mark Zuckerberg and Warren Buffett – an affection for McDonald’s.
Zuckerberg, in a recent interaction on Threads, professed his love for the fast-food giant when McDonald’s posted an open-ended question for its followers about their favorite meals. The tech wizard and Meta Platforms head wasted no time in listing his go-to order: “20 nuggets, a quarter pounder, large fries, Oreo McFlurry, apple pie, and maybe some side cheeseburgers for later?”
However, if you’re picturing Zuckerberg leading a laid-back lifestyle with such a caloric intake, think again. The Facebook co-founder is currently indulging in a strenuous fitness regime focused on jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts (MMA). His reasoning for the monster meal order? He needs to consume roughly 4000 calories a day to counterbalance his intense activity. And let’s not forget his simple justification: “It’s so delicious…”
Interestingly, Zuckerberg’s relationship with the golden arches could have been more than just foodie love. As a teenager, he was given a choice by his father to either attend college or run his own McDonald’s franchise. He chose academia but ironically dropped out of Harvard in 2004 to shape the early version of Facebook.
Meanwhile, Buffett, another eminent member of the billionaires club, has been a devoted fan of the fast-food giant for ages. His mornings often involve swinging by McDonald’s for breakfast en route to Berkshire Hathaway’s headquarters. Buffett’s connection to the fast-food chain goes beyond just his taste buds; Berkshire-owned Jazwares recently partnered with McDonald’s to roll out a Squishmallow-themed Happy Meal and McFlurry.
Nicknamed the “junk-food connoisseur,” Buffett’s love for McDonald’s was once manifested in a significant stake in the company. Back in 1996, Berkshire held a $1.4 billion stake, accounting for 4.3% of the company. Though he later sold his shares in 1998 – a move he would come to regret – he never lost his affection for the brand, or its food.
In his annual letter to shareholders that year, Buffett conceded selling his McDonald’s stake was a “very big mistake”. As McDonald’s stock soared seven-fold since then, dwarfing the S&P 500’s less than four-fold increase over the same period, his error became all the more evident.
Both Zuckerberg and Buffett may not own a piece of the McDonald’s pie anymore, but they clearly can’t resist the allure of its golden fries and burgers. As they continue to enjoy their fast-food fix, who knows, we might just see the birth of a Zuckerburger or a McBuffett.