Intelligence manifests itself in many ways, and sometimes, the most brilliant minds reveal themselves through unusual habits rather than just raw intellectual power. Warren Buffett, the “Oracle of Omaha,” has amassed extraordinary wealth through shrewd investing, but his peculiar daily practices truly showcase his exceptional mind.
These habits aren’t just quirky idiosyncrasies but deliberate choices that enhance his cognitive abilities and decision-making. Let’s explore the unusual behaviors that have helped shape one of the world’s most successful investors. Here are the ten quirky Warren Buffett habits that indicate his unusually high level of intelligence:
1. He Spends 80% of His Day Reading
Warren Buffett is renowned for his voracious reading habit. He dedicates approximately 80% of his workday to consuming information. According to his own account, he reads 500+ pages daily, including newspapers, annual reports, financial statements, and books. Buffett has famously stated, “Read 500 pages like this every day. That’s how knowledge works. It builds up, like compound interest.”
This extensive reading has allowed him to develop a vast mental library of business models and case studies, which he can reference when making investment decisions. His late longtime business partner Charlie Munger explained that Buffett “has a lot of models in his head,” allowing him to quickly assess opportunities based on historical parallels.
This commitment to reading demonstrates discipline and recognition that intelligence is cultivated through constant learning and exposure to diverse ideas.
2. He Maintains Emotional Discipline During Market Turmoil
One of Buffett’s most impressive intellectual traits is his ability to remain emotionally detached during market volatility. While others panic, Buffett maintains rational thinking, allowing him to capitalize on opportunities others miss.
During the 2008 financial crisis, Buffett invested $5 billion in Goldman Sachs when others fled the market, which eventually netted Berkshire Hathaway billions in profit. His famous advice, “Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful,” isn’t just catchy—it’s evidence of his capacity to override the emotional biases that plague most investors.
This emotional regulation corresponds with research showing that higher emotional intelligence correlates with better financial decision-making. Buffett’s ability to separate feelings from facts represents a sophisticated form of intelligence beyond traditional metrics.
3. He Surrounds Himself With Talented Individuals
Buffett’s 60-year partnership with Charlie Munger represented an intelligent approach to complementary thinking. While many successful people surround themselves with yes-men, Buffett deliberately chose a partner known for challenging his ideas.
Buffett maintains a small, carefully selected team at Berkshire Hathaway’s headquarters, reflecting his understanding that intellectual environments matter. He’s famously said, “It’s better to hang out with people better than you… you’ll drift in that direction.”
This approach aligns with research on collective intelligence, which shows diverse viewpoints improve decision quality. Buffett’s willingness to be challenged and to incorporate others’ perspectives demonstrates an intellectual humility that paradoxically enhances his decision-making capabilities.
4. He Invests in Self-Development Before Opportunities
While many focus solely on external investments, Buffett has consistently invested in his capabilities. In his early career, he took a Dale Carnegie public speaking course to overcome his fear of public speaking—an investment he has described as one of his most valuable.
Buffett understands that the return on personal development eventually exceeds returns on financial assets. He once advised students, “The most important investment you can make is in yourself.”
This habit reflects a sophisticated understanding of human capital—recognizing that enhancing cognitive and communication skills creates compounding returns across every future decision. This meta-cognitive awareness—understanding how to improve his thinking—represents a high-order form of intelligence.
5. He Sticks to a Simple, Consistent Daily Routine
Buffett’s daily schedule is remarkably uncomplicated. He wakes simultaneously, reads extensively, and avoids overwhelming his calendar with meetings. This simplicity isn’t a sign of laziness but rather a strategic approach to preserve mental energy for what matters most.
Buffett conserves cognitive resources for important investment decisions by eliminating decision fatigue through routine. His office at Berkshire Hathaway lacks computers or Bloomberg terminals that might bombard him with distracting information. Instead, he creates space for deep thinking.
This intentional simplicity reflects an understanding of attention as a finite resource—a principle now confirmed by cognitive science but intuitively understood by Buffett decades earlier.
6. He Plays Bridge for Hours Each Week
Buffett regularly plays bridge, often online or with friends, including Bill Gates. He once remarked, “It’s got to be the best intellectual exercise out there. You’re seeing through new situations every ten minutes. Bridge is about weighing gain/loss ratios. You’re doing calculations all the time.”
This isn’t just entertainment—it’s mental calisthenics. Bridge requires probability assessment, memory, pattern recognition, and partner psychology—all skills that transfer to investment analysis.
Research has shown that strategy games help maintain cognitive function, particularly in analytical thinking and working memory. Buffett’s devotion to bridge reflects his understanding that intelligence requires regular exercise, like physical fitness. By engaging in activities that stretch his analytical capabilities, he maintains cognitive sharpness well into his 90s.
7. He Does Complex Valuation Math in His Head
Buffett’s mental ability to perform complex calculations gives him an edge in rapidly assessing potential investments. He can quickly determine intrinsic business values without spreadsheets or calculators, allowing him to make decisions faster than those relying on technology.
This mathematical fluency stems from early practice—as a paperboy, he calculated compound returns to understand how his small business could grow. This habit demonstrates how Buffett internalizes the quantitative models most investors need external tools to process.
His mathematical agility allows him to focus on the qualitative aspects of investments while simultaneously processing the numbers—a rare form of dual processing that characterizes highly developed minds.
8. He Lives in the Same House He Bought in 1958
Despite being one of the world’s wealthiest individuals, Buffett still lives in the modest Omaha home he purchased for $31,500 in 1958. This isn’t mere frugality—it reveals a profound understanding of happiness economics.
By avoiding the hedonic treadmill that drives many wealthy individuals to increasingly extravagant purchases, Buffett focuses on what truly matters to him. He has said, “My life couldn’t be happier. It’d be worse if I had six or eight houses.”
This contentment with simplicity reflects emotional intelligence—understanding that material acquisitions often create complexity and anxiety rather than satisfaction. His housing decision demonstrates that accurate intelligence includes knowing how to make money and live well.
9. He Says “No” to Almost Everything
Buffett is ruthlessly selective about his time and opportunities, understanding that focus is a prerequisite for excellence. Unlike many investors who diversify widely, Buffett concentrates on his “circle of competence”—investments he deeply understands.
This selectivity extends to his calendar, which lacks the back-to-back meetings typical of executives. Buffett stated when asked about his success, “The difference between successful people and successful people is that successful people say no to almost everything.”
This habit reflects Buffett’s sophisticated understanding of opportunity cost—recognizing that every commitment means saying no to something else. This disciplined focus represents a form of intellectual clarity that eludes most people.
10. He Communicates Complex Ideas in Simple Language
While many in finance use jargon to appear intelligent, Buffett clearly explains complex concepts. His shareholder letters, famous for their plain language, can be understood by readers without financial backgrounds.
He once described derivatives as “financial weapons of mass destruction”—a vivid analogy that captured their systemic risk better than technical explanations. This linguistic clarity isn’t simplistic—it results from deep understanding.
As Einstein noted, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” Buffett’s communication style reflects his intellectual commitment to genuine understanding rather than superficial complexity, demonstrating that accurate intelligence often manifests as clarity rather than convolution.
Conclusion
Warren Buffett’s quirky habits reveal that extraordinary intelligence often manifests unexpectedly. His success isn’t just about IQ but about creating systems and practices that enhance cognitive performance and decision quality.
Buffett has developed habits that reflect and amplify his intelligence, from his voracious reading to his emotional discipline, simple lifestyle, and clear communication. These practices have allowed him to avoid typical cognitive decline and maintain exceptional mental performance well into his nineties.
Perhaps the most critical lesson from Buffett’s habits is that intelligence isn’t fixed—it’s cultivated through deliberate choices about how we spend our time, manage our emotions, and process information. By studying these habits, we can all find ways to enhance our thinking, regardless of our career path.