Nicole Buffett‘s last name opened doors — but it also slammed one shut.
In a 2008 Marie Claire profile, the then 32-year-old artist from Berkeley, California, shared the story of how her grandfather, Warren Buffett, disowned her. Yes, that Warren Buffett — the famously frugal investing legend whose fortune had just eclipsed $58 billion at the time, making him the richest man in the world.
Nicole, an abstract painter with a self-described “granola” lifestyle, said Buffett paid for her college education but made it clear that was the limit. When she called to ask if he might help cover a futon for her off-campus apartment, his office reportedly replied, “You know what the rules are: school expenses only.”
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The Documentary That Changed Everything
In the same Marie Claire interview, Nicole said that her appearance in the film triggered a sharp response from Warren. He sent her a letter stating, “I have not emotionally or legally adopted you as a grandchild, nor have the rest of my family adopted you as a niece or a cousin.” The letter was signed “Warren.” She told Marie Claire that just a year earlier, she still had a card signed “Grandpa.”
That same year, Nicole also spoke to Reuters, telling the outlet, “My grandfather is a very private man, and I decided to share what it’s like to be his granddaughter, and it created a huge estrangement from him to the extent that he disowned my twin sister and myself.”
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No Inheritance, No Apologies
There were no payouts, no inheritance, no reality shows. While Warren later sent holiday checks to some of his grandchildren—apparently softening his no-freebies policy—Nicole said she was not included. “And probably he’s rewarding them for behaving,” she said in the profile.
Still, she told Marie Claire she’d learned something from the whole ordeal: self-reliance. “Grandpa taught me that, and it has set the tone for my life.”
Nicole did. Estranged or not, she never stopped being a Buffett—just not the kind that came with dividends.
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Image: Shutterstock
