Warren Buffett’s Five-Decade Devotion to Cherry Coke

During a dinner with hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, Warren Buffett revealed a peculiar dietary habit: he has not consumed a glass of water since the 1970s. Instead, the legendary investor relies on his preferred soda, Cherry Coke, to maintain his hydration levels, a quirk that has defined his lifestyle for nearly 50 years.

Editorial·October 31, 2026·reads: 961

Warren Buffett’s Five-Decade Devotion to Cherry Coke

The anecdote surfaced on the Equity Mates Investing podcast, where Ackman recounted his surprise when his guest declined both still and sparkling water. This preference for soda is well-documented; in 2015, Buffett famously told Fortune magazine that he is "one quarter Coca-Cola," noting that he consumes at least five 12-ounce servings daily, which accounts for a significant portion of his 2,700-calorie intake.

While Buffett is now synonymous with the Coca-Cola brand, his loyalty was not always fixed. Author Glen Arnold notes that Buffett favored Pepsi for five decades before an intervention by a neighbor prompted a change. His son, Howard, once dubbed him "Pepsi Warren," and acquaintances from his past remember him frequently drinking the competitor's soda during late-night poker games. By the 1986 Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting, however, the shift was complete, with Cherry Coke officially becoming the event’s signature beverage.