After 60 years at the helm of Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett will step down as CEO of the holding company at the end of 2025.
Throughout his career, the business and investment icon has regularly shared his wisdom to help others build successful lives, from extolling compound interest to providing thought exercises for living a life without regrets.
At Berkshire Hathaway’s 2025 annual shareholder meeting, Buffett offered advice to those on opposite ends of his career. “Don’t worry too much about your starting salary and be very careful about who you work for, because you’re going to inherit the habits of the people around you,” he told the audience in response to a question about early lessons learned. “There are some jobs you shouldn’t take.”
Buffett emphasized that while it may be tempting for workers just starting out to take the job that offers the most competitive salary they can find, other factors can become more important over the course of their career.
“Finding great people to work with”
Buffett said that while a high starting salary can set you up for financial success, your co-workers and managers can play a big role in your long-term career success.
“Who you date is very important,” he says. “Don’t expect to make all the right decisions about it, but your life will follow the direction of the people you work with, the people you respect, and the people you become friends with.”
Citing his own experience of finding mentors who offered wisdom while young people were learning the ins and outs of running a business, he encouraged young people to find and work with someone in their life whose career they admire.
“I’ve had five bosses, and I liked them all. They were all interesting people. But I decided I’d rather work for myself than anyone else,” Buffett said. “But if you find great people to work with, that’s the place to go.”
don’t do it for the money
In addition to surrounding yourself with smart and interesting people, Buffett said it’s a good idea to find a job you want to do even if you don’t need the money. “I’ve thought that for a long time,” he added.
Not only has the 95-year-old earned a lot of money throughout his career, but he has also frequently talked about how much he enjoyed his job and his co-workers. “I get to do what I want with the people I love,” Buffett said in a 2008 interview.
He encouraged young people to find meaningful careers as well.
“It’s interesting in the investment business that a lot of people get out of the business after making a lot of money. They really want something that they can use forever, whether they need the money or not,” he said at Berkshire’s 2025 shareholder meeting.
Want to give your kids the ultimate advantage? Sign up for CNBC’s new online course, “How to Raise Financially Smart Kids.” Learn how to build healthy financial habits now to set your kids up for greater success in the future.
