Warren Buffett Offers 1 Piece of Estate Planning Advice to the Middle Class
Written by
Brooke Barley
Edited by
Amber Barkley
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Estate planning can be complicated — and not just for wealthy people. Though the word “estate” is often associated with the upper class, an estate is anything that will be left to heirs after death. This means the middle class needs to think about estate planning just as much as the upper class. Estates not only cover dispersing money and assets, but can also cover guardianship of children, healthcare directives and taxes.
CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Warren Buffett has a very substantial estate to think about. According to Forbes, Buffett is worth nearly $150 billion as of early February 2025. Buffett has three children: Howard, Susan and Peter. He posted a letter in November 2024 to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders that discussed how he planned on dispersing his wealth.
He also gave advice for parents that he felt applied “whether they are of modest or staggering wealth.” Here’s the advice from Buffett parents planning their estates should take to heart.
Buffett’s Universal Advice for Estate Planning
In his letter, Buffett wrote that the one thing he suggests to parents is to have your adult kids read your will, and don’t sign it until they’ve done so. He explained that this prevents any surprises after death. It also gives them an idea of what they should expect when the time comes.
“If any have questions or suggestions, listen carefully and adopt those found sensible. You don’t want your children asking ‘Why?’ in respect to testamentary decisions when you are no longer able to respond,” Buffett wrote.
He explained that it’s not enough just to show children the will, they have to grasp exactly what each part means. “Be sure each child understands both the logic for your decisions and the responsibilities they will encounter upon your death.”
Being Transparent Is Better for the Whole Family
Buffett wrote that showing children the will before the parents die can help prevent infighting among family members, who might otherwise be left “confused and sometimes angry.”
If families have a sense of how the estate was planned, this can prevent disagreements about who gets what. Referring to his longtime business partner Charlie Munger, Buffett added, “Charlie and I also witnessed a few cases where a wealthy parent’s will that was fully discussed before death helped the family become closer. What could be more satisfying?”
What’s Buffett Planning To Do With His Wealth?
As far as Buffett’s own estate planning, he wrote in the letter that he would be donating $1.1 billion of his Berkshire Hathaway shares to his family’s four foundations. He added that his three children would be responsible for distributing the rest of his holdings after he dies.
Buffett has also added the “unanimous decision” provision, which dictates that all three children must agree on what to do with the money that’s left to them for philanthropic efforts. If one child says no, then they must respect that child’s wishes.
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