Warren Buffettwho turns 96 this summer, is getting his back famous annual charity luncheon after a four-year hiatus. But this year, the format gets a refresh. The retired billionaire investor is teaming up with Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation (ELP), a Bay Area nonprofit founded by the NBA star Stephen Curry and his wife, Aisha.
Buffett started the annual charity luncheon in 2000 to benefit San Francisco GLIDE Foundationa nonprofit social justice organization focused on fighting poverty and inequality. Apart from the two years of the pandemic, he preserved the tradition until 2022helping to grow more than 54 million dollars over two decades. The event’s largest winning bid came in 2022, when an anonymous donor paid a record $19 million.
After Buffett’s retirement, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff stepped in to continue the legacyraising 1.5 million dollars for GLIDE in 2024. Now, Buffett is returning to host his first charity luncheon since retiring as Berkshire Hathaway CEO in 2025.
Bidding for the 2026 lunch opens on eBay on May 7, with one winner and seven guests invited to join Buffett and the Currys for a private experience in Buffett’s hometown of Omaha, Neb. on June 24.
Traditionally, the lunch featured Buffett himself. The new iteration, however, will focus on a multi-generational, collaborative discussion between Buffett and the Currys. The couple founded ELP in 2019 to provide school children in Oakland, California with nutritious meals, educational tools and sports opportunities. This year’s partnership will split revenue between GLIDE and ELP.
Buffett said his initial hiatus began when he “ran out of gas” at age 92. The recent death of GLIDE’s co-founder Reverend Cecil Williams inspired him to bring the event back. “All he wanted was for it to continue,” Buffett told CNBC this week. He added that this year’s revival aims to attract a younger partner who can continue the tradition alongside the Currys.
In an added display of generosity, Buffett announced that he will personally match this year’s winning bid, splitting his contribution equally between GLIDE and ELP.
“What’s so powerful about this moment is that it honors everything Warren has built by opening the door to what philanthropy can look like moving forward,” Chris Helfrich, President and CEO of Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation, the Observer said. “Bringing Stephen and Ayesha into it expands that impact in a very real way. It introduces new energy, new audiences, and ultimately enhances what we’re able to do for the communities we support.”
Buffett praised the Currys’ commitment to Oakland’s youth, telling CNBC: “They have a deep and abiding interest in helping Oakland’s children enjoy better futures and, in a big way, have lived out that belief. Stephen has not sought accolades or, to any degree, funding from others.”
Previous luncheons often included GLIDE executives and were held at Smith & Wollensky Steakhouse in New York City. This year’s event will be moved to an as-yet-undisclosed Omaha location chosen by Buffett.
Past winners of the charity auction involves a Chinese crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun and hedge fund manager Ted Weschlerwho later joined Berkshire Hathaway as an investment manager after winning in 2011.
Online bidding for the 2026 luncheon begins May 7 at 7:30 PM PT and closes May 14 at the same time. Interested participants must complete an prequalification form with their name, address, profession, social media and group affiliations. Bidding starts at $50,000, although past auctions have routinely topped $1 million.
