Billionaire Lunch Auction Hits $9 Million on eBay

A winning bid of $9,000,100 secured a seat at a charity lunch table with billionaire investor Warren Buffett, NBA star Stephen Curry, and his wife Ayesha Curry. The auction, hosted on eBay, closed last Thursday after a full week, with the winner's identity remaining undisclosed. The final price tag pushed the total fundraising haul past the $9 million mark.

The victor may bring seven guests to the June 24 meal. All proceeds will be split between two charitable organizations: Glide, which supports the poor and homeless in San Francisco, and Eat. Learn. Play., a foundation launched by the Currys to tackle child hunger and illiteracy.

Buffett, 95, has pledged to match the winning bid for each foundation, a move that will boost the total charitable contribution from this single event to roughly $27 million. This doubling commitment aligns with his long-standing philanthropic philosophy.

Decades of Giving

Glide has been a beneficiary of Buffett’s generosity for decades, a cause he took up at the urging of his late wife, Susan. Over 21 auctions held between 2000 and 2022, he raised approximately $53.2 million for the organization. The record for his eBay charity auctions remains the 2022 winning bid of $19 million.

Eat. Learn. Play., founded by Stephen and Ayesha Curry, focuses on improving children's nutrition and literacy. Stephen Curry, a four-time NBA champion and two-time MVP with the Golden State Warriors, and Ayesha Curry, an entrepreneur, cookbook author, and child hunger activist, will both be at the table.

Buffett’s Fortune and Philanthropic Plans

The chairman of Berkshire Hathaway continues to execute a long-term plan to donate the vast majority of his fortune, which exceeds $143 billion. His three children oversee a charitable trust dedicated to this purpose.