ClaimsWarren Buffett

“I've graduated from two universities I didn't attend either one of those graduations”

Warren Buffett, Berkshire CEO 15 December 2020 CNBC Transcript: Buffett and David Solomon (Dec 2020) (CNBC) archived copy

Factual Their own work or organisation

Buffett graduated from two universities and attended neither graduation ceremony.

Unresolvable The public record could not settle it.

Factual: Statements about the present or the past, checked against the record: did they hold up?

What would count as true or false

True: records show Buffett earned degrees from exactly two universities (for example, the University of Nebraska BS in 1950 and the Columbia MS in 1951), and reliable accounts (biographies, university records, his own documented accounts) show he attended neither graduation ceremony. Mostly true: both degrees are confirmed and he skipped both ceremonies, with a minor detail off (for example, the number of degrees is counted differently). Mixed: both degrees are confirmed, but he is documented as attending one of the two ceremonies. Mostly false: he attended both ceremonies, or he earned a different number of degrees, while some part of the claim is true. False: he did not graduate from two universities, and he is documented as attending the ceremonies.

Set before the research began.

Evidence (5)

  1. E1 What Columbia Business School cost when Warren Buffett graduated CNBC · 19 October 2017

    “But when legendary investor Warren Buffett earned a Master of Science from the School of Business at Columbia University studying economics in 1951,”
  2. E2 What Columbia Business School cost when Warren Buffett graduated CNBC · 19 October 2017

    “That $1,690 from June of 1951 when Buffett graduated has the buying power of $16,105 in today's dollars, accounting for inflation.”
  3. E3 Warren Buffett Day One Commencement (republishing a CNBC.com article) · 20 October 2018

    “As for his own two degrees, he isn't sure where he would find the diplomas if he looked for them.”
  4. E4 Warren Buffett Day One Commencement (republishing a CNBC.com article) · 20 October 2018

    “Buffett transferred to the University of Nebraska so he could graduate in three years.”
  5. E5 Warren Buffett Day One Commencement (republishing a CNBC.com article) · 20 October 2018

    “where he earned an undergraduate degree in business administration”

Reasoning

Independent reporting says that Buffett has two degrees (E3). It reports that he transferred to the University of Nebraska so he could graduate in three years (E4) and that he earned an undergraduate degree in business administration (E5). It also reports that he earned a Master of Science from Columbia in 1951 (E1, E2). None of the evidence says whether he attended either graduation ceremony. The criteria require reliable accounts that he skipped both ceremonies, so the central part of the claim can't be settled from this evidence.

Cite this claim

Warren Buffett, “Buffett graduated from two universities and attended neither graduation ceremony.” (said 15 December 2020). Verdict: unresolvable. Reliability API, claim c_aa9a75167af3, method 0.1.0+28da144b, dataset release v1.1.2. https://epistacklabs.com/claims/c_aa9a75167af3

This claim is in dataset release v1.1.2, with the same verdict.

Reply to this claim

For Warren Buffett, or someone speaking for them: a correction or counter-evidence. Replies are read before anything is shown; an approved reply shows your name, role, date, statement and link. Your email address is never shown and is deleted 30 days after the decision (privacy).

More factual claims by Warren Buffett

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    “Howard has been a Berkshire Director for 33 years.”

    Howard Buffett has been a Berkshire director for 33 years.

  2. Resolved true Factual 18 September 2026
    “My son, Howard, will succeed me as Chairman.”

    Howard Buffett succeeds Warren Buffett as Berkshire's Chairman.

  3. Resolved true Factual 18 September 2026
    “I have served Berkshire since 1965.”

    Warren Buffett has served Berkshire since 1965.

  4. Mostly true Factual 2025
    “She and her CNBC crew do a great job of both transmitting our meetings worldwide and archiving much Berkshire-related material.”

    Becky Quick and her CNBC crew transmit Berkshire's meetings worldwide and archive much Berkshire-related material.

  5. Resolved true Factual 2025
    “I was lucky enough to get an education at three fine universities.”

    Warren Buffett received an education at three universities.

All of them

Verdicts are made automatically; how verdicts are made.