At 95, Warren Buffett — the man who turned a struggling textile mill into a $1 trillion global powerhouse — says he is “going quiet.”
From a boy in 1930s Omaha who nearly died from appendicitis to the legendary investor behind Apple, Coca-Cola, and American Express, Buffett’s journey is a living testament to luck, discipline, and kindness.
His final message to leaders everywhere:
“Don’t beat yourself up over past mistakes — learn at least a little from them and move on.”
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Real riches are born from humility and helping others.
The Moment Buffett Chose Silence
At 95, Warren Buffett, the legendary architect of Berkshire Hathaway, has announced: “I’m going quiet.”
In his final Thanksgiving letter to shareholders (November 10, 2025), he stepped back from public life with a message that was less about money and more about meaning.
“Decide what you would like your obituary to say — and live the life to deserve it.”
— Warren E. Buffettwarren buffet -nov1025
In an era where CEOs speak louder than ever, Buffett’s silence is his most profound statement yet. This is not retirement — it’s an invitation to lead with humility, clarity, and compassion.
We examined Warren Buffett’s final message through the lens of the 9 Da Vinci Mindsets — because both men, centuries apart, mastered the same art: transforming observation into wisdom, and wisdom into impact.
Warren Buffett, CEO, Berkshire HathawayPhoto credit: Gillian Zoe Segal
THE 9 DA VINCI MINDSETS IN BUFFETT’S FINAL MESSAGE
1) Curiosity & Lifelong Learning
“I generally feel good. Though I move slowly and read with increasing difficulty, I am at the office five days a week where I work with wonderful people.”
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At 95, Buffett remains a student of life and markets. His discipline to keep reading and thinking is the purest form of lifelong learning.
Da Vinci Insight: Curiosity never retires; it renews the mind every morning.
2) Interdisciplinary Thinking
“Our country has many great companies, great schools, great medical facilities… But I feel very lucky to have had the good fortune to make many lifelong friends… In short, Nebraska has been home.”
warren buffet -nov1025
He connects business, community, and education as one ecosystem of value.
Da Vinci Insight: True wisdom links fields together — economy, ethics, and empathy.
3) Creativity & Innovation
“As Thanksgiving approaches, I’m grateful and surprised by my luck in being alive at 95… During my recovery I began enjoying my new ‘podium.’ I liked to talk – yes, even then – and the nuns embraced me.”
warren buffet -nov1025
From the child who turned a hospital stay into a stage of imagination to the investor who reinvented philanthropy, his life is a creative continuum.
Da Vinci Insight: Playfulness is the engine of innovation.
4) Appreciation for Nature
“Can it be that there is some magic ingredient in Omaha’s water?”
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His love for place reveals respect for environment and humility toward nature’s quiet power.
Da Vinci Insight: To see the extraordinary, first revere the ordinary.
5) Intellectual Fulfillment
“Father Time is undefeated; for him, everyone ends up on his score card as ‘wins.’ When balance, sight, hearing and memory are on a downward slope, you know he’s in the neighborhood.”
warren buffet -nov1025
He meets aging with clarity and gratitude, finding meaning in finitude.
Da Vinci Insight: The mind achieves fulfillment when it accepts time as its teacher.
6) Attention to Detail
“I will no longer be writing Berkshire’s annual report or talking endlessly at the annual meeting. As the British would say, I’m ‘going quiet.’ Sort of.”
warren buffet -nov1025
Even in departure, his precision of language — the pause after ‘sort of’ — shows awareness of tone and impact.
Da Vinci Insight: Detail is not small — it’s the language of mastery.
7) Emotional Well-Being
“I wish all who read this a very happy Thanksgiving. Yes, even the jerks; it’s never too late to change.”
warren buffet -nov1025
His humor and forgiveness signal emotional freedom rare in corporate life.
Da Vinci Insight: Kindness is costless but priceless; emotional maturity is leadership’s true currency.
8) Resilience & Perseverance
“Those who reach old age need a huge dose of good luck, daily escaping banana peels, natural disasters, drunk or distracted drivers… Lady Luck continued to drop by during much of my life, but she has better things to do than work with those in their 90s.”
warren buffet -nov1025
He credits luck yet embodies discipline — the blend that keeps him standing through decades of volatility.
Da Vinci Insight: Resilience is grace under pressure — the quiet power of those who keep showing up.
9) Problem Solving
“Don’t beat yourself up over past mistakes – learn at least a little from them and move on. Get the right heroes and copy them.”
warren buffet -nov1025
He frames errors as data for wisdom — a pragmatic philosophy for leaders and learners alike.
Da Vinci Insight: Growth is iterative; solve, reflect, adapt.
LIFE ENERGY TASK FOR LEADERS
Write your own “Final Letter to Your Future Team.”
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What values would you thank them for?
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What mistake would you forgive yourself for?
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What would you want to be remembered for?
Leadership is not about noise — it’s about resonance.
Silence is the space where great minds breathe.
DA VINCI MINDSET REFLECTION
Warren Buffett’s “going quiet” moment is a mirror for every leader in the AI era. As machines speak louder, humans must listen deeper.
Da Vinci would call it the “art of slowing down to see.” Buffett calls it gratitude.
Both taught that wisdom is not in the noise we create, but in the clarity we leave behind.
This analysis was prepared by New York Business Leadership Center as part of its Global Leadership Insights Series, exploring how timeless wisdom fuels next-generation leadership.
Together with Hillier Consulting, the two organizations offer the following insight to today’s decision-makers:
In an era of constant noise and AI acceleration, leaders must master the art of wise silence — transforming clarity, curiosity, and compassion into their new competitive advantage.
Both firms emphasize that the leaders of the future will not be those who speak the loudest, but those who listen the deepest — just as Warren Buffett did throughout his life.
In collaboration with Hillier Consulting, we continue to help executives transform insight into action — and silence into strength.
“Wisdom is quiet. But its impact echoes across generations.”
