Get All Access for $5/mo

Bill Gates and Warren Buffett Celebrate 25 Years of Billionaire Bromance Two of the world's richest businessmen are ringing in their silver anniversary today. Their friendship wasn't always 'Oreos for breakfast' and heart-to-heart calls. The mogul mates got off to an 'awkward start.'

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Getty Images | Bloomberg

When it comes to making new friends, sometimes mother really does know best. Such was the case with Bill Gates and Warren Buffett.

Gates didn't want to meet Buffett at first, but his persistent mom, Mary, eventually wore him down and convinced him to. "I'm a technology nerd," the Microsoft co-founder reflects on his blog. "[Buffett's] an investor who doesn't use email. In fact, I never expected to be friends with him."

The power duo's billionaire bromance kicked off 25 years ago today. On that fateful day, July 5, 1991, Gates was determined to spend "no more than two hours" with Buffett. But then the "Oracle of Omaha" fired off a flurry of clever questions, one after the other, that no one had ever asked Gates before. "We were suddenly lost in conversation and hours and hours slipped by," Gates recalls in a touching blog post commemorating the anniversary today.

Related: The Top 25 Self-Made Billionaires In the World

They laughed, they related, they bonded, and an "unexpected friendship" was born. "It was a deep friendship from our very first conversation," Gates writes.

Despite their differing styles (Buffett likes Oreos for breakfast and Gates prefers Cocoa Puffs), the mega moguls were soon thick as thieves. They eagerly swapped book recommendations, battled it out at bridge and stitched up starring roles in each other's sweeping spheres of influence. Sure enough, Buffett is a Gates Foundation trustee and Gates sits on the board of Berkshire Hathaway, because of course they do. That's what friends are for.

Certain connections have their benefits, especially ones of this caliber. After all, billionaire BFFs stick together like birds of a feather.

To celebrate their friendship's silver anniversary, Gates and Buffett created a photo album and virtual reality video together. No worries if you don't have a VR headset. You can still watch the clip from a web browser, just as you would any video. Check it out here. Sorry, bub, you might never see your bestie the same.
Kim Lachance Shandrow

Former West Coast Editor

Kim Lachance Shandrow is the former West Coast editor at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was a commerce columnist at Los Angeles CityBeat, a news producer at MSNBC and KNBC in Los Angeles and a frequent contributor to the Los Angeles Times. She has also written for Government Technology magazine, LA Yoga magazine, the Lowell Sun newspaper, HealthCentral.com, PsychCentral.com and the former U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. C. Everett Coop. Follow her on Twitter at @Lashandrow. You can also follow her on Facebook here

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

The Side Hustle He Started in His College Apartment Turned Into a $70,000-a-Month Income Stream — Then Earned Nearly $2 Million Last Year

Kyle Morrand and his college roommates loved playing retro video games — and the pastime would help launch his career.

Growing a Business

How Visionary Leaders Transform Curiosity Into Groundbreaking Ideas

Lee Brian Schrager, founder of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival, discusses the spark that launched FoodieCon, his best practices for running popular food events, and why all business owners need to adapt to social media trends.

Business News

Homeowners in These 10 States Pay the Most in 'Hidden' Upkeep Costs

Hidden home costs pile on top of mortgage payments.

Data & Recovery

Get $60 off This Portable VPN Travel Router

Why keep paying for a VPN service when you can have a tiny, lightweight piece of hardware that can provide you with a lifetime of maximum VPN protection?

Money & Finance

Avoid These 10 Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make with Money

Despite the challenging statistic that only 5% of startups survive beyond five years, common financial pitfalls often contribute to their failure. Through personal observation, I've identified the prevalent financial mistakes made by entrepreneurs.

Growing a Business

5 Books to Help You Motivate, Unify and Build Perspective

In a post-Covid world, check out these must-read books to help build a more resilient organization, create a modern work culture and maintain a powerful growth mindset.