Billionaire Warren Buffett's First Wife Said He Cared About The 'Win,' Not The Money – 'It's All Mental With Him,' And Money Is His Scorecard

Warren Buffett is famously predictable. He loves McDonald's breakfasts, drinks more Coca-Cola than most teenagers and still lives in the modest Omaha home he bought in 1958. He's frugal, sharp and unapologetically himself. But behind this public persona lies something deeper – a mindset laser-focused on one thing: winning.

It's not the kind of winning that comes from beating an opponent or cashing in on a flashy lifestyle. Buffett isn't playing against anyone. His greatest competition has always been himself, a reality that his first wife, Susan Buffett, understood better than anyone.

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In a rare Charlie Rose interview before she died in 2004, Susan shared insights into Warren's inner world – insights that offer a rare look at what really motivates the Oracle of Omaha. Having known him before his rise to global fame, Susan offered a perspective shaped by decades of partnership and understanding.

One of her most striking observations was about Warren's inner scorecard – the deeply personal metric by which he measures success. As she explained, Warren's drive wasn't fueled by money for its own sake but by a sense of internal achievement. "It wasn't the money itself … It's all mental with him; the money is his scorecard," she said. For Warren, wealth was less about material accumulation and more about winning a game that only he could define.

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This inner scorecard aligns with Warren's philosophy of focusing on intrinsic values rather than external validation. He has often contrasted it with an "outer scorecard," which reflects the judgments of others. Susan's comments illuminated how Warren's steadfast reliance on his internal measure of success helped shape his extraordinary career.

Susan also spoke about his hypercompetitive nature, which she viewed as an essential part of his success. Recalling Warren's belief that "everybody can read what I read," she noted how much he loved the idea of competition on a level playing field. He wasn't simply driven by talent; his relentless determination to win within the boundaries of fairness set him apart.

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When Susan met Warren, he wasn't the confident mogul the world recognizes today. According to his authorized biography, The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life, he was carrying scars from a difficult relationship with his mother. His mother's criticism reportedly left him feeling inadequate in many aspects of life, except in business, where he excelled. "I needed her in my life like crazy," Warren admitted in his biography. "I was happy with my work, but I wasn't happy with myself." Her support during those early years was critical in helping him find his footing, both emotionally and professionally.

Her reflections revealed a layered portrait of Warren: a man of genius intellect and fierce ambition whose drive to succeed was deeply personal rather than outwardly motivated. Susan's understanding of this dynamic offered an unparalleled glimpse into what propelled Warren Buffett to greatness, underscoring that his journey was as much about internal resolve as external success.

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