'I Haven't Had Water in 48 Years': Warren Buffett's Strange Cherry Coke Diet Sparks Online Scepticism

Bill Ackman says Warren Buffett once refused water at his home, asked for Cherry Coke instead and remarked that he had not drunk water for 48 years. The billionaire hedge fund manager recalled the exchange in a podcast episode released on 28 October, describing a private dinner that took place ‘years ago.’

Buffett’s fondness for soft drinks has been noted for decades, including in his own shareholder letters. Ackman’s anecdote, however, is an undated recollection rather than a fresh statement by Buffett about his current drinking habits.

Speaking on the Equity Mates Investing Podcast, Ackman said he had invited Buffett to his house some years earlier. Knowing his guest’s preference, he ordered in Cherry Coke before the visit.

At the table, Ackman offered Buffett still or sparkling water. According to his account, Buffett declined and asked for Cherry Coke instead. Ackman said he then asked whether Buffett drank water.

‘Bill, I haven’t had water in 48 years,’ Buffett replied, Ackman recalled.

Ackman did not provide a date for the dinner. His account does not establish whether Buffett meant the remark literally, whether he was exaggerating, or whether he later changed his habits.

Water Claim Raises More Questions Than It Answers

The gap between the dinner itself and the podcast’s release is important. Without knowing when the exchange took place, the reported 48-year period cannot be turned into a clear starting date or confidently extended to the present.

The conversation describes a choice at a single meal. It does not show what Buffett drank before or after that visit, nor does it establish that Cherry Coke was his only drink.

There is also a difference between avoiding plain drinking water and avoiding all fluids. The NHS says drinks including milk, tea, coffee and soft drinks count towards daily fluid intake and that some fluid comes from food.

Its guidance describes water as a healthy, low-cost option and advises against regularly consuming drinks high in sugar. That general advice does not say anything specific about Buffett’s individual health or medical history.

Buffett, 96, has often drawn attention for his food and drink preferences, but his age alone cannot demonstrate the health effects of any particular diet. Neither the recalled dinner conversation nor reports of his favourite foods amount to a medical assessment.

Earlier Evidence of a Cherry Coke Habit

Buffett’s own writing provides a dated account of his switch to Cherry Coke.

In his 1985 shareholder letter, dated 4 March 1986, he announced that he had converted to the drink after ’48 years of allegiance to another soft drink.’

He also designated Cherry Coke the official drink of Berkshire Hathaway’s annual meeting. The announcement appeared in the letter ahead of the meeting, the passage did not identify the previous brand.

That earlier reference to 48 years concerned loyalty to a soft drink. It was separate from the water remark Ackman later attributed to him.

In 2015, Buffett told Fortune he drank at least five 12-ounce servings of Coke daily.

That historical account should not be presented as a newly verified measure of his current intake. The shareholder letter and Ackman’s recollection likewise describe different occasions, separated by an unknown interval.

China Trip Shows Efforts To Cater to Buffett’s Tastes

Another account of efforts to accommodate Buffett’s tastes appears in Alice Schroeder’s biography, The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life.

Schroeder describes a 17-day trip to China in 1995 with Bill Gates and his then-wife, Melinda. Before departure, the guests were asked about their food preferences.

According to the book, the Gateses arranged for their tour company to send people ahead to teach hotel chefs how to prepare hamburgers and chips for Buffett.

Schroeder recounts that he was served those familiar foods while other members of the party ate Chinese dishes. The arrangements extended beyond the dining room.

On the third day of the trip, the group climbed the Great Wall. Champagne awaited the other travellers, while Cherry Coke was waiting for Buffett.