ClaimsPeople

Warren Buffett

Warren Buffett led Berkshire Hathaway as chairman from 1970 and as CEO until January 1, 2026, and now serves as chairman emeritus and a board member.

1,556 claims collected, 281 researched, 78 resolved. Report of 5 November 2026, method 0.1.0+28da144b.

Scores by kind of claim

Each kind of claim is scored on its own, out of 100: the share that held up, with the range it likely falls in. Fewer resolved claims give a wider range.

  • Factual claims

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

    85 79 91

    High confidence, 51 factual claims resolved. From 14 documents, 2001 to 2026; 15 documents sampled from 31 candidates found.

    Not scored: 51 unresolvable, 45 checkable only against their own records.

    See the factual claims

  • Predictions

    Statements about events outside the person's control, checked once they fell due: did they come true?

    78 65 89

    Low confidence, 14 predictions resolved. From 6 documents, 2001 to 2024; 15 documents sampled from 31 candidates found.

    Not scored: 71 unresolvable, 2 checkable only against their own records. 10 more fall due later.

    Does not yet allow for how likely each prediction was when made.

    See the predictions

  • Promises

    Commitments to the person's or organisation's own future action, with something to deliver: was it delivered?

    72 57 85

    Low confidence, 12 promises resolved. From 7 documents, 2001 to 2026; 15 documents sampled from 31 candidates found.

    Not scored: 17 unresolvable, 4 not yet due, 1 checkable only against their own records.

    See the promises

  • Guidance

    A company's own figures for its results over a period, checked against what it then reported.

    Insufficient record: 1 guidance claim resolved, 5 needed for a score.

    Not scored: 2 unresolvable.

    See the guidance

All types combined: 82 (likely 76 to 87, high confidence), from 77 claims: 51 factual claims, 14 predictions, 12 promises. It mixes kinds of claim in different proportions for different people, so compare people kind by kind.

Warren Buffett's claims

34 claims

34 claims, sorted by newest said. Choose a claim to read it in full.
VerdictKindSaidClaimTopic
Mostly true Promise 2025 Buffett will personally match whatever is raised through the sale of the 20 autographed "Charlie" books for the Stephen Center. Promise · 2025 Their own work or organisation
Mostly true Factual 2025 Becky Quick and her CNBC crew transmit Berkshire's meetings worldwide and archive much Berkshire-related material. Factual · 2025 Their own work or organisation
Mostly true Factual 5 May 2024 Buffett first went to GEICO in 1950. Factual · 5 May 2024 Their own work or organisation
Mostly true Factual 5 May 2024 Buffett said that the previous year he had said that developing nuclear weapons let a genie out of the bottle, and that the genie has been doing terrible things lately. Factual · 5 May 2024 Other global risks
Mostly true Factual 4 May 2024 Berkshire has created an insurance structure that did not exist when Ajit Jain joined in 1986. Factual · 4 May 2024 Economics and markets
Mostly true Factual 4 May 2024 Buffett said Berkshire offered a solution within a couple of days to something in Canada that was getting close to the brink. Factual · 4 May 2024 Economics and markets
Mostly true Prediction 4 May 2024 Buffett said he feels very comfortable that the post-Buffett decision will be made by Berkshire's board, which he said has loads of brainpower and a dedication to an unusual institution and will figure things out. Prediction · 4 May 2024 Their own work or organisation
Mostly true Factual 15 Dec 2020 Large food manufacturers have done terrifically during the pandemic. Factual · 15 Dec 2020 Economics and markets
Mostly true Prediction 27 Feb 2017 Buffett said he thinks those in control will end up going for a less dramatic tax change than they might like, because they don't want to spend the time and political capital getting it done. Prediction · 27 Feb 2017 Economics and markets
Mostly true Factual 27 Feb 2017 In 1963, during American Express's Salad Oil Scandal, Buffett visited restaurants to see how people used the American Express card, an approach he first used then. Factual · 27 Feb 2017 Economics and markets
Mostly true Factual 27 Feb 2017 Berkshire Hathaway does not make hostile takeover bids. Factual · 27 Feb 2017 Their own work or organisation
Mostly true Factual 21 Jul 2016 New constituencies in corporate governance, such as activists, have become stronger over the years. Factual · 21 Jul 2016 Philosophy, ethics and society
Mostly true Factual 9 Feb 2012 Berkshire holds significant amounts of currency-based investments, primarily short-term ones. Factual · 9 Feb 2012 Their own work or organisation
Mostly true Factual 15 Aug 2011 Some mega-rich investment managers who earn billions are allowed to classify their income as carried interest, which is taxed at a 15 percent rate. Factual · 15 Aug 2011 Economics and markets
Mostly true Factual 23 Sep 2010 Public sentiment turned very sour over the three to five months before September 2010. Factual · 23 Sep 2010 Economics and markets
Mostly true Factual 23 Sep 2010 The course gave 23 students a crash course in subjects useful for running their small businesses. Factual · 23 Sep 2010 Economics and markets
Mostly true Factual 2010 In 2006 Warren Buffett committed to gradually give all his Berkshire Hathaway stock to philanthropic foundations. Factual · 2010 Their own work or organisation
Mostly true Factual 2010 Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates are asking hundreds of rich Americans to pledge at least 50% of their wealth to charity. Factual · 2010 Philosophy, ethics and society
Mostly true Guidance 2007 After the Equitas transaction, Berkshire's annual DCRA cost will initially increase to about $450 million a year. Guidance · 2007 Their own work or organisation
Mostly true Prediction 2007 Unrelenting pressures will cause the Buffalo News's profit margins to slide. Prediction · 2007 Economics and markets
Mostly true Prediction 28 Feb 2002 Ron Peltier will likely make more real estate brokerage acquisitions for Berkshire in 2002 and the following years. Prediction · 28 Feb 2002 Their own work or organisation
Mostly true Factual 28 Feb 2002 Historically Berkshire has obtained its insurance float at very low cost, with a cost below zero in about half the years it has operated. Factual · 28 Feb 2002 Economics and markets
Mostly true Prediction 28 Feb 2002 Berkshire expects the FINOVA transaction overall to prove satisfactory for Berkshire. Prediction · 28 Feb 2002 Their own work or organisation
Mostly true Prediction 28 Feb 2002 MidAmerican Energy's reported earnings should increase considerably in 2002 because the goodwill amortization charge will disappear under new GAAP rules. Prediction · 28 Feb 2002 Their own work or organisation
Mostly true Factual 28 Feb 2002 At the parent company level, Berkshire makes no charitable contributions except those designated by shareholders. Factual · 28 Feb 2002 Their own work or organisation
Mostly true Promise 28 Feb 2002 Buffett will keep well over 99% of his net worth in Berkshire. Promise · 28 Feb 2002 Their own work or organisation
Mostly true Factual 28 Feb 2001 Berkshire's practice of keeping most shoe production in domestic factories has cost its shoe businesses heavily. Factual · 28 Feb 2001 Their own work or organisation
Mostly true Prediction 28 Feb 2001 Buffett said Berkshire was confident that EJA (NetJets) would remain the world leader in fractional ownership in planes flying, service quality and safety standards. Prediction · 28 Feb 2001 Their own work or organisation
Mostly true Factual 28 Feb 2001 GEICO's underwriting loss in 2000 produced a float cost of 6.1%. Factual · 28 Feb 2001 Their own work or organisation
Mostly true Promise 28 Feb 2001 Because these transactions, which typically come in large chunks, can materially distort the company's figures, it will tell readers about them as they occur. Promise · 28 Feb 2001 Their own work or organisation
Mostly true Promise 28 Feb 2001 Chess champion Patrick Wolff will play blindfolded against all comers in the mall at the 2001 Berkshire meeting weekend. Promise · 28 Feb 2001 Their own work or organisation
Mostly true Prediction 28 Feb 2001 Omaha will shortly have a new Convention Center with ample parking. Prediction · 28 Feb 2001 Their own work or organisation
Mostly true Promise 28 Feb 2001 Berkshire will hold its annual meeting at the Civic Auditorium on Saturday, April 28, 2001. Promise · 28 Feb 2001 Their own work or organisation
Mostly true Promise 28 Feb 2001 Buffett and Charlie Munger will answer shareholder questions until 3:30 p.m. at the 2001 meeting, except for a noon break. Promise · 28 Feb 2001 Their own work or organisation
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Warren Buffett

Open its page

Factual Economics and markets

“Well, this is really about giving these-- in this case, 23 students-- sort of a crash course in a lot of subjects they-- that-- are gonna be useful to them in running their small businesses.”

Warren Buffett, Berkshire chairman 23 September 2010 CNBC Transcript: Becky Quick speaks with Warren Buffett (CNBC)

The course gave 23 students a crash course in subjects useful for running their small businesses.

Mostly true True in substance, wrong in a detail.

The second judge would not resolve this claim; the verdict shown is the first judge's.

What would count as true or false

Judged as of 2010-09-23. True: contemporaneous records (programme materials, news reports, the interview context) show the course Buffett described had 23 students who were small-business owners or operators, and that it covered a range of business subjects meant for running their businesses (a short, intensive course). Mostly true: the course existed as described and was aimed at small-business owners, but the student count was slightly different (e.g., 20–26) or some other minor detail was off. Mixed: the course existed, but either it was not mainly for small-business operators or the count was well off (e.g., more than double or less than half). Mostly false: a related programme existed but was materially different (e.g., not a multi-subject course, or not for small-business people). False: evidence shows no such course or cohort existed at the time.

Evidence

  1. Warren Buffett Gets His Batteries Charged By LaGuardia's 10000 ... LaGuardia Community College · 11 January 2021
    “Buffett, who has served as co-chair of the 10,000 Small Business Program’s advisory council, spoke at LaGuardia during the graduation for the first cohort, saying, “The 23 students graduating today are going to serve as examples to the 9,977 students coming down the road.”
  2. Warren Buffett Gets His Batteries Charged By LaGuardia's 10000 ... LaGuardia Community College · 11 January 2021
    “I went to the first graduation at LaGuardia Community College about 10 years ago and there were probably 300 or 400 people in an auditorium and there were less than 30 graduates I think maybe there was 27 or something like that”
  3. Goldman Sachs10,000 Small Businesses LaGuardia Community College
    “Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses at LaGuardia Community College is designed to help you develop the skills you need to grow your company.”

Reasoning

LaGuardia Community College reports that Buffett spoke at the graduation of the first cohort of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, and quotes him saying 23 students were graduating (E1). Buffett's later memory of 'maybe 27' graduates (E2) is close to that count. LaGuardia describes the program as built to help owners develop the skills to grow their companies (E3), which supports the claim that it was aimed at small-business operators. However, the 23 figure appears only as Buffett's own quoted words, and no evidence item spells out that the course was short, intensive and covered many subjects, so the claim is mostly true rather than fully confirmed.

Cite this claim

Warren Buffett, “The course gave 23 students a crash course in subjects useful for running their small businesses.” (said 23 September 2010). Verdict: mostly true. Reliability API, claim c_d4e215db464f, method 0.1.0+28da144b. https://epistacklabs.com/claims/c_d4e215db464f

Claims without a verdict

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