Warren Buffett und Bill Gates: Die einflussreichste Freundschaft der Welt

by Anthony McCarten, Stefanie Schäfer (translator)

Kaum eine andere Freundschaft hat so weit reichende Auswirkungen – nicht nur in der Finanzwelt und im Tech-Sektor – wie die zwischen Bill Gates und Warren Buffett. Zwei der reichsten Männer der Welt spielen zusammen Bridge, tauschen nicht nur Witze, sondern auch Geschäftliches aus, essen Junkfood und hören einander genau zu. Aus ihrer Freundschaft ist ein "Versprechen " die Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, die ein Vermögen von fast 50 Milliarden Dollar verwaltet, um die größten Probleme der Menschheit zu bekämpfen. Doch wo ist Hilfe am wichtigsten? Von der Verantwortung der Superreichen und zwei sehr unterschiedlichen Männern mit demselben Ziel.

Genres: Nonfiction, Business, Biography, Audiobook

413 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 26, 2025

About the author

Anthony McCarten’s debut novel, Spinners, won international acclaim, and was followed by The English Harem and the award winning Death of a Superhero, and Show of Hands, all four books being translated into fourteen languages. McCarten has also written twelve stage plays, including the worldwide success Ladies’ Night, which won France’s Molière Prize, the Meilleure Pièce Comique, in 2001, and Via Satellite, which he adapted into a feature film and directed, premiered at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival. Also a filmmaker, he has thrice adapted his own plays or novels into feature films, most recently Death Of A Superhero (2011) which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Anthony divides his time between London and Los Angeles.

Reviews

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always been fascinated by these two men. It brought back so many memories as the world changed to computers. If only my husband and I had invested a couple hundred bucks in Microsoft and Apple at Day 1, we would be able to give back too. Their philanthropy is wonderful in my humble opinion.

[Grantpinkston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rare 5 star rating - Feels like Empire of Pain without the controversy - rich people handling wealth, the concern about personal branding (bill is a supervillain nerd, Warren personable). Weird obsession with the Allen & Co sun valley week but maybe that’s a key part of being wealthy. Rich people have such interesting incentives when giving away money (population / consumption growth)

Vocab word of the book: quinquagenarian

[timv · Rating 3 out of 5]

i’m not sure of the purpose of this book except to point out that rich billionaires hang out with other billionaires. A significant amount of time is spent on the Gate's foundations, but once again to what purpose I’m not sure.

for people that are uninformed about Bill Gates or Warren Buffett this would make a decent summary read. They bonded over the card game, bridge.

About 15 years ago or so I struck up a conversation with a woman who was a bridge enthusiast. She used to go to Bridge tournaments in Omaha and she described how before Bill and Warren would come down to play in the tournament their security teams would sweep the room. That didn't make it into this book.

[Greg Talbot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Given the hurdles young men face in romance, careers, respectability, and temperament, there are valuable lessons to be drawn from the famous friendship of Warren Buffett and Bill Gates. Their global wealth empires were built on a deep reliance on and mastery of systems and data. In many ways, they were oracles of their industries—Warren’s value investing strategy, inspired by Benjamin Graham, provided him with a scalable approach to accumulating wealth. As McCarten writes, it’s not merely “a penny saved is a penny earned,” but rather a multitude of pennies saved, compounded by the all-powerful force of interest. Gates’ programming mastery and vision for coding an operating system on an Intel 8008 chip laid the foundation for the digital revolution of the late 20th century. Personal computers would soon be everywhere, and the only currency more valuable than money was data.

With aplomb, wit, and good humor, McCarten walks us through key milestones in Buffett’s and Gates’ lives—their strategic acquisitions, the financial fortresses they built, and their carefully crafted personas of folksy charm and technocratic brilliance. The depth of insight into their personal lives, particularly their relationships with their wives and children, is especially compelling. In many ways, their evolution into philanthropists stemmed from the growth of these primary relationships and a broader focus on the greater good.

One of the book’s central themes is the responsibility of the successful. Whether shaped by market forces, the lottery of birth, or sheer character, both men understood their ability to shape a lasting legacy—not just for themselves but for the world. As Buffett acknowledges, had he been born in a different era, he might have been prey to some jungle animal. Gates, too, displays humility when discussing his early access to BASIC programming and the good fortune of being able to code after hours in a computer lab. Despite their love of bridge and family life, both men played pivotal roles in major U.S. historical events—Buffett’s underwriting of investment banks during the 2008 crash and Gates’ involvement in Microsoft’s antitrust litigation in the 1990s.

Yet, some of the most thought-provoking questions remain unspoken. Gates has voiced concerns about the pernicious effects of social media, discussing in podcasts his decision to delay smartphones for his children and his reservations about social media’s impact on national cohesion. While he wasn’t responsible for Web 2.0 technologies, he undeniably belongs to the technocratic class whose aversion to government regulation paved the way for figures like Zuckerberg and Musk. Similarly, Buffett’s story is largely silent on the rise of casino capitalism and the widening gulf between elites and everyday people. What moral right does any billionaire have to impose their vision on the world, even if it comes wrapped in philanthropy? And how do we differentiate today’s tech leaders and market champions from the gilded-age plutocrats like Carnegie and Rockefeller?

A truly enjoyable and thought-provoking read. McCarten’s word choices are impeccable—I got a strong sense of his personality and appreciated the stories he used to advance the larger narrative. He captures defining moments in both Gates’ and Buffett’s lives, making their journeys feel both instructive and engaging. While discussions of “effective altruism” and “creative capitalism” abound in the media, few authors write as insightfully as McCarten about their methods and impact. Like all great books on ambition, this one also explores its downstream effects—on marriages, research, medical advancement, children’s success, and the pursuit of purpose. What a fascinating and enduring friendship.

[Audra’s Book Club! · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just finished “Warren and Bill” by Anthony McCarten and let’s just say, the cover was the best part.

📚 My five-word summary: influence, investments, friendship, partnership, loyalty. Sounds intriguing, right? Too bad the book felt like a rehash of old interviews and memories. Wanted an insider scoop? You’ll find out they love Bridge… and not much else. 🙃

2/5 stars because Anthony does gather info from various sources and compiles it into a nice neat package for you, but don’t expect any groundbreaking revelations.

[Charles Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

77%
. This book is cool because it's a concentrated look at a lot of the efforts between Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, and for someone like me that was not aware of the process initially, this is a good inside look that generalizes the relationship and the efforts that Bill has done, along with Warren, and the relationship between the two, which I had no awareness of. This is just outside my circle in general, I guess. I'm aware of the two more independently and less so on Bill's side, more so on Warren's, but I appreciate the comprehensive generalization of the material.

[Madras Mama · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although most incidents in this book are well-known, extensively documented, and frequently repeated in other works, McCarten possesses a remarkable knack for making even a lacklustre story engaging. The narrative structure, alternating between their individual stories before seamlessly converging into a shared storyline, is a masterclass in storytelling technique. I am now eager to explore more of your works, Mr. McCarten.

[Carie · Rating 4 out of 5]

We have always admired the Oracle of Omaha, and since we lived there for many years, I was interested in to read more about Buffett's work and family. I got bogged down a bit in all the writing about philantropy, but overall found it an interesting read. These two men definitely are smart, powerful, and industrious. They have made their mark on American history and business.

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty interesting book. Felt like it got around a lot of things well without lingering overly long on them.
The thing I mostly disliked was when the author added "I think it happened like this, but I have zero basis to argue for it"-paragraphs, and he generally wasn't great at making it clear what was fact and what was the author's head canon, so I docked a star for that.

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

#18 - 2024. Audiobook. Amazing insight into the lives of three people - Warren Buffet and Melinda and Bill Gates and the impact they have had on the world , individually and collectively. A must read!!

[Jess T · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read on the story of Bill Gates and Warren, that does a fairly good job of questioning whether or not billionaires should exist, even if they give away their money via philanthropy. Easy read - nothing ground breaking

[Trish L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading about the friendship between Warren & Bill. Despite their massive wealth, they actually are both frugal by nature (which I admire) yet incredibly generous & charitable (and their ex-wives were/are, as well).

[Sam Blum · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cool story behind Bill and Warren’s friendship. It taught a lot about the Gates Foundation as well. Sometimes it felt like there was too much told about less important stories but overall a great read.

[Marge · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing new and quite dull.

[Jim Blessing · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read about two of the richest persons in America.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting chronology of the friendship of some of the richest people on the planet. The author shows how people can evolve—nothing is forever. Learn as you go and adjust accordingly.

[JT Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it! Well written, interesting insights to the Philanthropic World of two famous billionaires.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book about the friendship and collaboration of Warren Buffett and Bill Gates. I particularly admire Buffett’s charitable outreach and work with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. I’m also glad that their wives—Susan Buffett and Melinda Gates received good coverage in this book. If you’re looking for deep financial information, look elsewhere. But as a look into powerful entrepreneurs’ lives, you’ll find this an enlightening read.