Billionaires can afford to eat at the world’s most exclusive dining establishments and order in exotic foods from around the globe, every day of the week. So it may be counterintuitive to think of billionaires opting for readily available fast food over an assortment of other delicacies and premium dishes.
While dining choices are a personal preference for the individual, some billionaires do eat fast food. Access to an almost unlimited food menu doesn’t take away from the fact that at the end of the day, people will eat the food they enjoy, be it Michelin star meals or fast food.
It seems that regardless of how much wealth people have, sometimes the convenience of fast food can’t be beat. Sometimes, they just simply like the taste.
Which billionaires eat fast food?
Warren Buffett is the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway and one of the wealthiest men on the planet. However, the man considered by many to be the most successful investor in the world is known for regularly eating McDonald’s for breakfast.
He even has a set choice of meals he chooses from, with the exact amount ready in cash to pay for his meal. Additionally, he drinks Coke regularly throughout the day and consumes ice cream and candy frequently.
Buffett and fellow billionaire Bill Gates have also dined on McDonald’s together and both have a McDonald’s Gold Card. The elusive card entitles the holder to eat at McDonald’s for free, though Buffett’s card is limited to Omaha while Gates’s card is valid worldwide.
It’s not unreasonable to assume a certain investor savviness regarding Buffett’s dining choices, as Berkshire Hathaway owns Dairy Queen, while Coca-Cola is one of the company’s largest holdings. However, Buffett is not an adventurous eater and also simply has a specific preference for certain foods, much of which is fast food or junk food.
Another world-famous billionaire who is a fan of fast food is President Donald Trump. He’s dined on McDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken and more, even having fast food delivered to his private plane.
Interestingly for Trump, a large part of the appeal seems to be the cleanliness associated with these fast-food brands. The germophobic billionaire (who even made a commercial for McDonald’s in 2002) appreciates there’s a certain standard of hygiene and procedures that need to be followed by these brands in fast food preparation.
Dining habits of the tech elite
Bill Gates has long been associated with eating fast food, though it’s not just Gates himself eating it. For those who have lunch with Gates, cheeseburgers have been a long-standing and prominent feature on the lunchtime menu.
Of course, Gates isn’t the only tech billionaire with unexpected dining habits. Famous billionaires such as Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg aren’t strangers to an odd meal choice now and then.
Musk has mentioned not usually eating breakfast but if he does, he’ll opt for a Mars bar. Lunch is usually whatever his assistant brings him, though dinner is a more considered affair as it often involves business meetings.
Mark Zuckerberg is known for minimizing the time he spends on small decisions – such as what to eat – and will eat whatever he feels like on the day, which during his honeymoon included McDonald’s. That being said, he has been known to set personal challenges each year, with one such challenge focused on only eating animals he had killed himself.
Does having more money mean eating less fast food?
It wouldn’t be an unusual stance to believe that the more money people have, the less fast food they will consume. According to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), when it comes to the consumption of fast food in America, people consume more fast food as their income increases.
This isn’t the only study to suggest this correlation between increased income and increased consumption of fast food. Why might this be the case though?
One suggestion is that people may eat more fast food the more hours they work. After all, a large draw of fast food is the convenience of its quick availability.
Money’s no object but there’s no objection to fast food
Regardless of the reasons behind why they choose it, some billionaires do eat fast food. Whether it’s dietary preferences, a time-saving choice, or another factor that draws them in, fast food is certainly not off the menu for billionaires, no matter how much wealth they may have.