When Warren Buffett puts his name on something, it immediately becomes valuable — to the tune of $75,100.
Here’s how much an anonymous eBay user bid on Tuesday to win a one-of-a-kind piece of art: a 26-inch autographed print of Buffett overlaid with motivational quotes from the billionaire, including “Women make me optimistic about America.”
All proceeds from sales go directly to Girls Inc. of Omaha, Buffett’s hometown association of national nonprofits that mentor and support girls and young women in low-income communities across the country.
The charity art auction was organized by Motiva, an Israel-based art tech company that created the work on Buffett’s behalf. The quote in question is from a 2018 interview Buffett did with Yahoo Finance in which he discussed the #MeToo movement and the benefits of employers hiring and promoting more women.
“I’m thinking of doubling the talent that’s used effectively, or at least has a chance, [and] it makes me very optimistic about this country,” Buffett said at the time.
Buffett is no stranger to charity auctions. In June, an anonymous bidder paid $19 million for an opportunity to have lunch with the billionaire at a later date. It was the 21st and final time Buffett had auctioned off a private lunch benefiting the San Francisco-based nonprofit Glide — and it was the highest amount anyone has ever paid for the privilege of dining with Buffett.
