Who Is Warren Buffett’s Wife Astrid Menks? Untold Facts About Her

Astrid Menks is the wife of business magnate Warren Buffett, current Chairman, and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, and one of the world’s most successful investors, whose net worth exceeded USD 117 billion in March 2022, making him the sixth richest person in the world.

Menkes, who is of Eastern European origin, has worked with Buffett since the late 1970s. She is, however, a rather unremarkable subject about whom there is barely a thing or two to tell. In fact, Astrid might be at the top of the list when it comes to billionaires’ secret wives.

However, here are some pointers to check out about Astrid Menks. Check out her early stories (wiki), how she became Mrs. Buffett, and more.

Astrid Menks Is A Latvian; Was A Waitress In Nebraska

Astrīda comes from Latvia. However, on another matter, the Berkshire Hathaway CEO’s long-time partner has revealed very little information, whether it be related to her family background, date of birth, and so on. However, there are some revelations that Menk was born in January 1946.

Buffett once said that his ex-wife Menk has always preferred privacy, so much so that she did not even want to take part in her husband’s 2017 documentary Becoming Warren Buffett.

As for her current age, Astrid is believed to be in her mid-70s, making her 16 years younger than her billionaire another half.

Previously, she worked as a waitress at The French Cafe cocktail bar in Omaha, Nebraska. This is the same place where Buffett’s late wife Susan once sang.

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Astrid Menks Was Friends With Her Husband’s First Wife

By all accounts, Astrid and Warren’s first wife Susan were best friends. Several photographs have survived showing the women on many occasions out in public together, sometimes even holding hands. In addition, their mothers were also each other’s friends.

What Does Menks Do For A Living?

As has been reported, Astrid is a woman who has always been very interested in antiques. She is blonde with a sharp sense of style and people often know her as the one who looks for hidden bargains in Nebraska shops.

In the meantime, she has taken on several local causes, including supporting Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo, a conservation powerhouse that has discovered 11 new species of lemur. As reported, she is in town a lot looking and recycling.

Several media have reported that Astrid, like her husband, is very frugal and often shops in thrift stores and boutiques rather than in upmarket department stores and boutiques.

Where Did Astrid Meet Her Husband Warren Buffett?

Manx first met her husband Buffett in the mid-1970s, when his first wife resumed her career as a nightclub singer, working in the upscale Omaha nightclub French Café. Astrid worked there as a waitress, serving a fake French menu with dishes such as “le surf and turf”.

By this time, Warren’s ex-wife Susan had left him in 1977 after a quarter of a century of marriage. She chooses to move to San Francisco to further her career. Some informants reported that the other reason she left the Omaha-born businessman was because of the increasing attention she was receiving from her increasingly famous husband.

Warren married his first wife, Susan, in 1952. However, their divorce was only partial. The two continued to meet regularly. They often met and worked together.

Even after the divorce, Susan asked several friends in Omaha to look after her husband – including Menks, who began discreetly delivering him homemade soup and moved in with him a year later. The deceased activist introduced the Columbia University graduate to Astrid Menks, explaining,

“I called Astrid. I said, Astrid, will you take Warren, make him some soup, go over there and look after him?”

Speaking on her husband’s behalf about Manx, Susan said: “He appreciates it and I appreciate it,” Susie said. “She’s a wonderful person.”

Astrid Menks, Warren Buffett, And His Late Wife Susan Thompson All Had An Unconventional Relationship

The couple Menks and Buffett had a rather unconventional relationship in Susan’s presence.

The Guardian reports that the two women continued to “share” the billionaire. As his fortune grew, Susan took over the running of her husband’s charitable foundation.

Menkes packed Buffett’s luggage so that he could see Susan, apparently without any jealousy, and sometimes appeared by her side, smiling, talking, and even holding hands. In his book The Making of an American Capitalist, Roger Lowenstein, explaining the dynamics of the relationship between Manx, Warren, and Susan writes,

“From the day she moved in, Astrid knew that Buffett did not envision remarrying and that he was still attached to his wife. She made a home for him, yet she would see him off with neatly laundered shirts when he left town to be with Susie.”

The arrangement between the three of them appeared to work well. The trio even sent out Christmas cards with “Warren, Susie, and Astrid” on them. Some say it was an open marriage. Speaking to Time Magazine, Warren once said: “Susan brought me together, and Astrid kept me together.”

On the other hand, Warren and Astrid’s engagement lasted for four decades until their marriage in 2006. This was two years after Susan’s death after a long battle with cancer.

Astrid Menks And Buffett Had An Inexpensive Wedding

Judge Patricia Lamberty served as maid of honor at the 15-minute wedding ceremony of Latvian-born American Astrid and her billionaire husband. The only witnesses were Buffett’s daughter and Manx’s sister, and there were no paparazzi. For Buffett, who avoids glamour at all costs, it was a typically low-key event. Astrid and Buffett were married in August 2006; it was also Buffett’s 76th birthday.

Despite the fact that Warren is a billionaire, Astrid, and his marriage was conducted quite frugally. Buffett was apparently dressed in a casual business suit, the ring was bought at a discount from his own company, and the party was catered by Bonefish Grill, America’s vast seafood chain.

The wedding took place in Buffett’s white stucco house in the prairie town of Omaha. She and her philanthropist husband still live in the house, which Buffett bought in 1958 for 31 500 dollars.

Astrid Menks Husband Is Undoubtedly Rich; What Is Her Own Net Worth?

Although Forbes magazine estimates that Menx’s husband Buffett has a net worth of over $114 billion US dollars, no such estimate has been made for the Latvian woman’s net worth.

Menks’ partner first became a billionaire in 1985 and has since become a role model for his billionaire peers, including Microsoft founder Bill Gates, formerly the world’s richest man.

From buying his first shares at the age of 11 to pledging to donate more than 90% of his total wealth, Astrid’s husband has certainly seen a lot of zeros in his life. There is literally no argument for the statement – Buffett is hyper-wealthy.

And while Astrid’s similar know-how is quite the opposite, it would not be an undisputed exaggeration to say that she is rich at least to some extent. Given all her relationships with pioneer investors, Astrid could have more than a considerable fortune of her own.

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Did Menks Husband, Warren Buffett Diswoned His Grandaughter? 

Warren had three children with his first wife, Susan Thompson. They are Susan Alice Buffett, Howard Graham Buffett, and Peter Buffett. The latter adopted twin girls (Eric and Nicole), making the billionaire father the grandfather of two more girls.

Peter is in fact the girls’ stepfather, which he became after marrying the identical twins’ mother, Mary Buffett.

However, when Nicolette appeared in Jamie Johnson’s 2006 documentary The One Percent about rich kids, she said that her stepfather, Warren Buffett, thought money was important. Later, Buffett found this quite offensive and so he excluded Erica and her twin sister (who did not appear in the film) from his life, both personally and financially.

Warren said in his statement: “I have not emotionally or legally accepted you as a grandchild, just as the rest of my family has not accepted you as a cousin.”

Quick Facts About Astrid Menks