Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger worked at the same store, yet met years later — Investing icon pens emotional note

Warren Buffett, the titan of global finance, is stepping down from his CEO role at Berkshire Hathaway after six decades. In an emotional farewell letter to shareholders, the iconic investor reflected back on his life and career, remembering the places and people who left a deep impact on who he turned out to be.

Needless to say, Charlie Munger, Buffett’s ‘best pal’ for 64 years found a place in his letter — albeit in the very beginning of the list of impactful people.

Buffett in the letter to shareholders reminisced how he met Charlie Munger, who became a lifelong friend and his business counterpart at Berkshire Hathaway, creating an empire together.

Warren Buffett missed befriending Charlie Munger

Warren Buffett shared that Charlie Munger lived just a block away from his house in the 1930s.

“I’ll begin with Charlie Munger, my best pal for 64 years. In the 1930s, Charlie lived a block away from the house I have owned and occupied since 1958,” Buffett said in his letter to shareholders.

The global financing icon, set to step down as Berkshire CEO in January 2026, shared how he missed on the chance of befriending Munger in the 1940s when he worked at Buffett’s family grocery store in 1940.

“Early on, I missed befriending Charlie by a whisker. Charlie, 6 ½ years older than I, worked in the summer of 1940 at my grandfather’s grocery store, earning $2 for a 10-hour day. (Thrift runs deep in Buffett blood),” he said.

They did not meet until 1959.

“The following year I did similar work at the store, but I never met Charlie until 1959 when he was 35 and I was 28,” Buffett said.

Charlie Munger’s impact on Warren Buffett’s life

Buffett continued that Charlie Munger, despite moving to California, always talked about his years in Omaha.

“After serving in World War II, Charlie graduated from Harvard Law and then moved permanently to California. Charlie, however, forever talked of his early years in Omaha as formative,” the Berkshire Hathaway CEO said.

Buffett shared Munger’s impact on his life, adding how they never had an argument.

“For more than 60 years, Charlie had a huge impact on me and could not have been a better teacher and protective “big brother.” We had differences but never had an argument. “I told you so” was not in his vocabulary,” he said.

Charlie Munger, who Warren Buffett calls his best friend, passed away at 99 in 2023.

Charles Thomas Munger was the vice chairman of Berkshire Hathaway from 1978 until the day he died.