Emily Brown
Warren Buffett's business partner Charlie Munger had a brilliant response to a journalist who's been dubbed 'rude' for asking why they weren't equally rich.
Munger and Buffett first met back in 1959, after Munger had graduated from Harvard Law School and moved to California.
The pair are said to have bonded while talking about investments, and in 1978 Munger joined Berkshire Hathaway, the conglomerate holding company run by Buffett.
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The pair then worked together for decades, during which time Buffett established himself as one of the richest people in the world.
At the time of writing, Buffett has an estimated net worth of $134.2 billion.
But despite working alongside one another, Munger wasn't quite as rich as Buffet - though he still reached billionaire status.
According to Forbes, he held a net worth of approximately $2.6 billion until his death in November 2023, when he was 99 years old.
However, Munger apparently wasn't bothered about the difference in wealth between himself and his business partner.
In 2019, he spoke with journalists at the Daily Journal Annual Meeting and was asked the question: "In spite of being partners for so long, why is Warren so much richer than you?"
Resurfaced footage of the exchange has prompted some X users to describe the journalist who asked the question as 'rude', however, Munger clearly knew how to handle them.
The billionaire responded: "Well. He got an earlier start. He’s probably a little smarter. He works harder. There are not a lot of reasons."
Munger then quipped: "Why was Albert Einstein poorer than I was?"
The businessman moved on to his final question of the day after that, but his response was enough to earn him praise from the crowd as they laughed at his quick joke.
After his response was shared on X, viewers sided with Munger in their responses.
"Everyone has their own journey and the accomplishments and experiences that comes with it," one person commented.
Another wrote: "Always be this humble. We strive to be the best but never compare. We are all unique. You could make better steak than me etc."
Following Munger's death in 2023, Buffett held his first Berkshire Hathaway meeting without his business partner and described him as the 'architect' behind the company.
“In the physical world, great buildings are linked to their architect, while those who had poured the concrete or installed the windows are soon forgotten,” he said.
“Berkshire has become a great company. Though I have long been in charge of the construction crew; Charlie should forever be credited with being the architect.”