Artificial intelligence also wants to learn from Bill Gates.
When the Microsoft co-founder sat down for an interview with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak last month, the two answered questions generated by a ChatGPT-like AI chatbot.
The bot asked Gates for the best advice he’s ever received and how it’s impacted his own life. In response, the 67-year-old pulled out a few words from his longtime friend and fellow billionaire Warren Buffett on the subject of friendship.
“Warren Buffett spoke about it [how]in the end, it’s about how friends really think of you and how strong those friendships are [that matters]’ Gates said.
Gates and Buffett have been friends for more than three decades. Their shared interests extend beyond their wealth: the pair co-founded The Giving Pledge, which encourages the world’s richest people to donate at least half their wealth to charity, and are occasional bridge and golf partners.
Gates previously discussed the lessons he learned from Buffett, 92, from investing to time management. He’s always put Buffett’s advice on friendship at the top of this list.
“I’ve learned many things from Warren over the past 25 years, but perhaps the most important thing is what friendship is all about,” Gates wrote in a 2016 blog post.
“Despite keeping a hectic schedule, Warren still finds time to nurture friendships like few people I know,” Gates added. “He picks up the phone and calls to say hello. He regularly sends articles that he has read and thinks are…interesting.”
Buffett often talks about the importance of choosing good friends and being a good friend yourself. That means “surrounding yourself with people who are better than you” so that you can learn from them and be inspired by them, he said in a 2017 conversation with Gates at Columbia University. “You will move in the direction of the people you associate with.”
Gates agreed, “Some friends bring out the best in you, and that’s why investing in those friendships is good.”
Strong and meaningful friendships can be very important to your professional success, including boosting your self-esteem and mental resilience, research shows. Maintaining good friendships throughout your life will also make you happier and less stressed, improving your health and well-being, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Gates and Buffett have a combined net worth of $220 billion, Bloomberg estimates, but they seem to agree that the happiness that comes from lasting friendships is a true sign of success.
“When you get to my age, you’re going to really measure your success in life by how many of the people you want to love actually love you,” Buffett said in a 2001 speech at the University of Georgia.
“I know people who have a lot of money and they get testimonial dinners and hospital wings named after them,” he continued. “But the truth is, no one in the world loves her. If you reach my age and nobody thinks well of you, I don’t care how big your bank account is – your life is a disaster. This is the ultimate test of how you’ve lived your life.”
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