Warren Buffett is a man of routine in his hometown. He found what he liked, and he stuck with it.
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usie Buffett describes her father’s life in Omaha as boringly predictable, but Warren’s own take is that he tap-dances to work, eager for the latest business developments and enjoying the staff he has assembled at Kiewit Plaza. The routine starts at home with lighthearted banter between Warren and wife Astrid, who is expert at making things easier. A breakfast of Häagen-Dazs strawberry ice cream and cinnamon toast — whatever he wants, really — might be in order, along with the morning newspapers: the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, the New York Buffett at the groundbreaking for a ballpark in Sarpy County. Times, USA Today and The World-Herald. The house itself, which he bought in 1958, has changed to suit their tastes: A garage was converted into a sunroom, and a racquetball court, now seldom used, was added. In recent years, Astrid has improved the landscaping. (Her gardening interest is reflected in the Garden of the Senses at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo, where a gazebo is named “Astrid’s Place.”) The driveway was extended, and a guard shack sprouted. It’s a big house for its two permanent residents, but comfortable. On facing page, Buffett calculates his next play during a regional bridge tournament in 2011.
comforts of home 189