Warren Buffett’s First In-Depth Interview Since Stepping Down as CEO: Charity, $350B+ Cash, Apple, AI, Epstein Files & More

Warren Buffett in Omaha Interview – 03/31/26

Today we bring you a complete English summary of Warren Buffett’s latest CNBC interview — his first extended sit-down since stepping down as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway in 2022. At 95, the “Oracle of Omaha” is as sharp, candid, and witty as ever. He discusses reviving his famous charity lunch auction (now with Steph and Ayesha Curry), Berkshire’s massive cash position, his views on the market, Apple, AI, the Fed, nuclear risks, the Epstein files, and his evolving relationship with the Gates Foundation.

We’ve distilled the conversation into 9 key topics with clear background and Buffett’s own insights (paraphrased and quoted directly from the transcript). Perfect for investors, philanthropists, and anyone who wants to understand how the world’s most famous investor thinks today.

1. Charity Lunch “Comeback”: Teaming Up with Steph & Ayesha Curry for Glide & Eat.Learn.Play

Background: For 22 years Buffett auctioned off a private lunch to benefit the Glide Foundation in San Francisco, raising over $50 million. He retired from it in 2022 after the final auction brought in $19.1 million. Now he’s back — with a twist.

Buffett’s Take:
“My first wife Susie introduced me to Reverend Cecil Williams. He turned a dying church into a place that gave hope to people the world had given up on. We started small — the first three lunches raised $25,000 each — then moved to eBay and bids came from around the world. I stopped at 93 because I simply ran out of gas. The auction disappeared for two years and Glide needed funds. Cecil (who’s about my age) just wanted it to continue. So I agreed to do one more — this time with Steph and Ayesha Curry. Their Eat.Learn.Play foundation works with kids in the Bay Area. It’s a perfect fit. I’ll also make an equal personal contribution to both charities.”

The new auction opens May 7 at 7:30 p.m. PT and closes May 14.

2. Life After Stepping Down as CEO

Buffett’s Take:
“Life hasn’t changed much. I still go to the office every day. But I accomplish almost nothing — everything just takes me way longer now. Greg Abel is unbelievably good. He covers more ground in a day than I could in a week at my peak. We have 200+ businesses and I can’t even remember all the managers’ names anymore. I could have stepped aside earlier — Greg is better than I ever was. I still contribute a tiny bit, but he’s running the show.”

3. Berkshire’s Cash Position & Investment Activity

Buffett’s Take:
“We have roughly the same amount of cash and Treasury bills as before — probably north of $350 billion. We just bought $17 billion of T-bills this week; I think we’re the largest holder. I still make small purchases, but we’re not finding big opportunities we love. We recently bought $9.7 billion of Occidental Petroleum on January 3rd — we expect to own it indefinitely. If Greg doesn’t like a deal, we don’t do it.”

4. Market Pullback, Apple, and Tech/AI

Buffett’s Take:
“The current correction is nothing. I’ve seen the market drop more than 50% three times since I took over Berkshire. Apple remains our largest single holding even after we sold some shares (we still made over $100 billion pre-tax). I sold too soon, but I have no ability to predict short-term moves. Apple is a better business than anything we own outright — consumers love it, and Tim Cook has done a fantastic job. I don’t understand AI or most tech, so I stay away. I view Apple as a consumer company, not a tech company. I’m not worried about heavy regulation — Washington won’t destroy something every voter uses and loves.”

5. The Economy and the Fed: Inflation Is the Biggest Worry

Buffett’s Take:
“If I were running the Fed, my top concern would be inflation. I wish the target was 0%, not 2% — that 2% compounds and quietly makes people poorer. I thought Jay Powell acted exactly right and decisively in March 2020. The banking system is strong in some ways and fragile in others — that’s why we always keep huge cash and T-bills. I never want to be forced to sell anything in a panic.”

6. Why Buffett Hates Gambling, Sports Betting, and Day Trading

Buffett’s Take:
“On my honeymoon in 1952 we drove through Las Vegas. I watched well-dressed people fly across the country to pull slot-machine levers — mathematically dumb behavior. That’s when I realized America is full of opportunity. The U.S. economy is the greatest cathedral ever built, but right next to it is a casino. People love to gamble even when the odds are against them. I don’t like government-sponsored lotteries or legalized sports betting — it’s the government profiting off human weakness. Long-term ownership of great American businesses is the only bet that truly works.”

7. Middle East, Oil, and the Nuclear Threat — Humanity’s Biggest Risk

Buffett’s Take:
“Nuclear weapons are the biggest problem facing the planet. When I was a kid the textbook said the sun would burn out in 4.5 billion years. Now I worry the Earth may not last another 500 years. We did the right thing in 1939 with Einstein’s letter, but we’ve never learned to live with this technology. One way or another, something bad will happen in the next 100–200 years if Iran gets the bomb. I would support action to prevent that.”

8. The Epstein Files and the Gates Foundation

Buffett’s Take:
“I’m stunned by how one con man could exploit so many powerful people’s weaknesses — sex, power, money. I’m grateful Bill Gates never introduced me to Epstein. I was one of three trustees of the Gates Foundation but we only met once a year and I never asked probing questions. After the divorce I resigned. There are 3.5 million pages of Epstein files — I have a friend reading them to me. I’ve learned things I didn’t know. I’ll decide in June whether to continue my annual gift (usually around June 30). The foundation has done tremendous good work, but I’m waiting to see how everything unfolds before I commit more.”

9. Philanthropy, the Giving Pledge, and Human Nature

Buffett’s Take:
“I’ve given away nearly $60 billion since 2006, mostly to the Gates Foundation. The Giving Pledge now has 250+ billionaires committed to giving away at least half their wealth — an American experiment that is quietly changing global behavior. No one is giving less because of it; many are giving more and earlier. I still believe in trusting good people. On politics: America has never been more prosperous, yet the two parties automatically oppose each other. Capitalism works — but the partisan divide is worse than ever.”

Final Thoughts
At 95, Warren Buffett still walks into the office every day, keeps billions in cash as dry powder, and speaks with the same clarity and honesty that made him a legend. Whether you’re an investor, a philanthropist, or simply curious about human nature, this interview is a masterclass in long-term thinking, humility, and realism.

What struck you most from Buffett’s latest comments? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.

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(This article is based entirely on the public CNBC interview transcript. It is not investment advice.)