The Unusual Way Warren Buffett May Decide On His McDonald's Breakfast Order Every Morning

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McDonald’s breakfast unofficially wears the crown when it comes to fast food morning fare. From classic McMuffin sandwiches to cult-favorite hash browns, the chain is a go-to for many early risers — Warren Buffett included. The billionaire philanthropist is a longtime McDonald’s breakfast fan, but he doesn’t actually choose what he orders. Instead, he lets his wife decide.

As revealed in “Becoming Warren Buffett,” an HBO documentary released in 2017, the investor hits the drive-thru with exact change for one of three breakfast selections that his wife chooses for him. “I tell my wife as I shave in the morning, I say ‘either $2.61, $2.95, or $3.17,'” he explains while on a Mickey D’s run in a clip from the doc. “She puts that amount in a little cup by me here, and that determines which of three breakfasts I get.” He adds that he favors cheaper options if the stock market is down, an unexpectedly modest move for one of the world’s wealthiest businessmen.

Buffet’s preferred orders include two sausage patties, a sausage, egg, and cheese MCMuffin, and a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit, each slightly costlier than the last. He could afford all three with ease, but this thrifty habit echoes Buffett’s investment values of practicality and research. While his drive-thru ritual is unconventional, Buffett told Fortune that he eats this way, in part, because data showed “the lowest death rate is among six-year-olds, so I decided to eat like a six-year-old.”

Read more: What JD Vance Actually Eats

Buffett still eats McDonald’s in the morning despite rising prices

Warren Buffett has allegedly maintained his morning tradition for more than five decades. According to his daughter, Susie Buffett, he still eats McDonald’s for breakfast most days as of 2024, well into his 90s (he also regularly snacks on cookies and ice cream, and drinks five Cokes a day).

The eccentric billionaire has surely seen fast food become more expensive over the years, partly due, at least, to inflation. Price increases are no obstacle for Buffet’s wallet — especially because he’s one of a few celebrities who was given a lifetime McDonald’s Gold Card. In an interview with CNBC, he showed off the trinket, explaining it “lets me eat free at any McDonald’s in Omaha for the rest of my life.” So technically, Buffett doesn’t even need to pay for his favorite fast food breakfast.

As for how much Buffett’s morning trips to McDonald’s have increased in price, the data speaks for itself. McDonald’s launched its full breakfast menu in 1977, and by 1984, prices ranged from 45-cent English muffins and hash browns to 89-cent sausage McMuffins. In 1985, Buffett’s beloved bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit cost less than $1. By 2001, the same sandwich cost around $1.94, over 60% less than what Buffett paid for it 16 years later. Now, it costs nearly $6 to $8, depending on the location.

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