Buffett-Curry charity lunch auction raises $9m for nonprofits

A charity auction offering a private lunch with billionaire investor Warren Buffett and NBA superstar Stephen Curry has raised more than $9 million for nonprofit causes.

The winning bidder, according to CNBC report, agreed to pay $9,000,100 during a week-long auction hosted on eBay, which concluded on Thursday. The identity of the successful bidder was not immediately disclosed.

As part of the package, Buffett, Curry and Curry’s wife, Ayesha Curry, will host the winner and up to seven guests for a lunch scheduled for June 24 in Omaha, home of Buffett’s conglomerate, Berkshire Hathaway.

Organisers said proceeds from the auction would be shared between the Glide Foundation and Eat. Learn. Play.. Buffett is also expected to match the winning bid for each charity, bringing the total donation generated by the fundraiser to nearly $27 million.

The Glide Foundation, based in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district, provides support services for people experiencing poverty, homelessness and substance abuse challenges.

Buffett has maintained a longstanding relationship with the organisation, inspired by his late first wife, Susan Buffett, who volunteered there before her death in 2004.

Between 2000 and 2022, Buffett raised approximately $53.2 million for Glide through a series of charity lunch auctions. The previous record came in 2022, when a bidder paid $19 million for a similar experience – still regarded as the highest amount ever generated through an eBay charity auction.

Eat. Learn. Play., founded by Stephen and Ayesha Curry, focuses on childhood literacy, access to nutritious meals and promoting active lifestyles for children and families.

Curry, widely regarded as one of basketball’s greatest shooters, has won four NBA championships and two league MVP awards with the Golden State Warriors. Ayesha Curry is an entrepreneur, cookbook author and advocate against childhood hunger.

Buffett, 95, recently stepped down after serving for six decades as Berkshire Hathaway’s chief executive while remaining chairman of the company. According to Forbes, the veteran investor’s fortune is estimated at $143.5 billion, much of which he has pledged to donate to charitable causes through a trust overseen by his children.

The fundraising event further reflects Buffett’s long-held belief that partnerships between businesses and nonprofit organisations can drive meaningful social impact.