Warren Buffett is known for turning modest stakes into billions, dissecting annual reports with the ease of a detective novel, and reminding the world that patience can pay. But one of his most memorable lessons doesn't involve balance sheets or stock picks.
At the 2015 Most Powerful Women Summit, he offered this advice on marriage: "If you want a marriage to last, look for someone with low expectations." Delivered with Buffett's dry humor, it was more than just a throwaway line. It hinted at how the most important partnership in life may not be found in a boardroom, but across the dinner table.
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Buffett's own history of love is as unconventional as it is enduring. He married Susan Thompson in 1952, and together they raised three children—Susie, Howard, and Peter. In the 1970s, Susan left Omaha for San Francisco to pursue her singing career, but their bond never dissolved. Around this time, she introduced Buffett to Astrid Menks, a local waitress who eventually moved in with him in 1978. The unusual arrangement lasted decades, with Susan, Warren, and Astrid sending out Christmas cards signed by all three.
When Susan passed away in 2004, Buffett married Astrid two years later, continuing a love story that began nearly three decades earlier. He has spent more than 71 years of his life married, a testament to the durability of partnerships that don't always fit traditional molds.
For Buffett, the lesson in all of this is that expectations can be dangerous. Set them too high and disappointment is inevitable. Set them realistically and there's space for gratitude when life delivers more than promised. Just as he has avoided flashy investments in favor of steady value, Buffett seems to apply the same principle to relationships: consistency over perfection, resilience over glamour.
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He has also been clear that who you marry matters more than almost any other decision you make. Beyond companionship, your partner influences your habits, your confidence, and yes, your finances. Buffett has said repeatedly that a spouse can either amplify your ambitions or drag them down. Marriage, like investing, is about alignment—having the same goals, managing risk together, and building for the long term. It's about choosing someone who won't squander what you've worked for, but who shares the same discipline and vision to help it grow.
A marriage, like a portfolio, can unravel if partners are pulling in opposite directions. One spends while the other saves, one embraces risk while the other panics, one invests in growth while the other hoards cash. Just as markets punish inconsistency, relationships strain when goals don't align. The secret isn't only low expectations—it's shared ones. Buffett's reminder is that choosing the right partner is the ultimate investment decision. Get it right, and the compounding returns—both financial and emotional—can last a lifetime.
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