by Mildred Europa Taylor, Face2FaceAfrica.com
Ayesha Curry and husband Steph Curry. Photo: Instagram/ayeshacurry
An anonymous bidder paid over $9 million on eBay to have lunch with Warren Buffett, Steph Curry and Ayesha Curry. The individual can bring up to 7 guests to the lunch next month, on June 24, in Buffett’s hometown of Omaha, Nebraska.
The auction launched on May 7 and closed on May 14 at $9,000,100, according to the auction’s eBay page.
It was meant to restore an event Buffett organized for over 20 years, which raised $53 million for the GLIDE Foundation, a homeless charity in San Francisco. This year’s auction also raised money for Curry’s Eat.Learn.Play. Foundation that he established with his wife, Ayesha, to support children and families in the Oakland area.
In effect, the money raised will be split equally between GLIDE and Eat. Learn. Play. Buffett promised to match the winning bid for both organizations, bringing the total amount of money raised to about $27 million, per CNBC.
“We’re overwhelmed with gratitude for this opportunity, which reflects a shared belief that when different generations and institutions come together with purpose, we can create deeper and more lasting impact for the people who need it most,” the Currys said in a statement.
The Buffett auctions began in 2000 and were held every year until the pandemic changed things. KTVU reported that starting in 2008, every winning bid for lunch with the 95-year-old investor topped $1 million. After someone paid $19 million for a lunch in 2022, Buffett stopped organizing the event.
A similar event raised $1.5 million for a lunch with Marc Benioff in 2024, but that event type didn’t last.
Earlier this year, Buffett asked the Currys if they would like to join the lunch auction.
“It’s been an honor to join GLIDE and Warren Buffett for this incredible legacy and help bring the next chapter of the auction to life,” the Currys said in a statement to PEOPLE.
“Every child deserves access to nutritious meals, quality education and safe places to play and grow. Through Eat. Learn. Play., we’ve seen firsthand how investing in kids and families can strengthen entire communities,” they added.
Buffett also said he was “thrilled with the response to this auction and honored to support the important work being done by GLIDE and the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation.“
“I look forward to sharing a meal with Stephen, Ayesha, and the winning bidder and their guests in Omaha, and I appreciate everyone who participated in making this effort such a success,” the legendary investor added.