(CNN) An anonymous bidder paid a record-breaking $19 million for a private steak lunch with legendary investor Warren Buffett.
The sale was part of the 21st annual auction for a lunch with Buffett, produced in collaboration with eBay and the GLIDE Foundation, a San Francisco-based non-profit working on combating poverty, hunger, and homelessness. Each year GLIDE helps 10,000 individuals and families across the Bay Area to make long-lasting and sustainable changes in their lives
The bidding started with
$25,000 on June 12 and ended with $19,000,100 from an anonymous bidder on
Friday.
This year's huge sum is
more than four times the
winning bid of $4,567,888 in 2019 — the last auction before a hiatus due to the
Covid-19 pandemic. 2019's winner was cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun.
The mystery winner will enjoy a private lunch with Buffett and up to seven guests at Smith & Wollensky Steakhouse in New York City at a mutually beneficial date and time in the coming months. Gourmet Magazine defines the restaurant as "the quintessential New York steakhouse" and The New York Times, as "the steakhouse to end all arguments”.
This is the last year of
the "power lunch" with Buffett.
The auction was first started by the late Susie Buffett in 2000.
eBay started managing the auction in 2003.
"On behalf of GLIDE and those we serve, I thank Warren Buffett for his generosity, partnership and dedication, and for his incredible contribution to our mission," said the organization's president and CEO Karen Hanrahan in the news release.
"We are incredibly proud that Warren Buffett's final Power Lunch broke all-time record of funds raised, with all $53 million proceeds supporting GLIDE's efforts to create pathways out of crisis and transform lives," said eBay CEO Jamie Iannone.
From CNN (edited)
