If you were a billionaire, just what would you do when you’re not making money? Well, it turns out—quite a lot! Billionaires enjoy things that don’t always make the headlines & we’re going to look at fifteen little-known facts about them. You might be surprised how interesting they actually are!
Featured Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
Warren Buffett’s Ukulele Jam Sessions
You might know Warren Buffett as a super-investor but you probably don’t know that he’s also a ukulele player. Yep—this billionaire loves to strum his ukulele at charity events. Even the world’s most successful investors need a hobby to unwind! He’s also played it in front of investors at meetings which sounds very fitting for someone of his stature.
Elon Musk, the Teenage Programmer
Before Elon Musk sent cars into space, he was a 12-year-old kid selling a video game he created called “Blastar” to a computer magazine. That’s right—he was in middle school and already thinking about programming & entrepreneurship. No matter your opinion of him, it’s clear that he’s had a huge effect on several different industries.
Oprah’s Green Thumb
Oprah Winfrey is the queen of TV and she also has a thing for farming. She has an organic farm in Maui where she grows all sorts of fruits & veggies, as well as herbs. It’s a side of Oprah that most of us don’t know about but it makes sense since she’s a big supporter of healthy eating. Can you imagine Oprah getting her hands dirty in the soil?!
Jeff Bezos’s Star Trek Cameo
Amazon chief & space enthusiast Jeff Bezos once lived out his childhood dream by making a cameo appearance as an alien in “Star Trek Beyond.” It was very much a “blink and you’ll miss it” moment as Bezos played an extraterrestrial Starfleet official and looked unrecognizable underneath all this makeup. Still, he’s a big fan of the franchise & it even inspired him to create “Alexa,” Amazon’s voice recognition software!
Bill Gates and His Mosquito Friends
Bill Gates once released a jar of mosquitoes on an unsuspecting audience during a TED talk as part of his attempts to demonstrate the dangers of malaria. Don’t worry, though—they were malaria-free but the stunt sure got people talking. Gates has a talent for dramatic gestures and this was just one of them.
Richard Branson’s Balloon Adventures
Most people know Richard Branson as the thrill-seeker behind the Virgin brand yet they may not know how far he’ll go for his thrills. For example, he has tried to circle the globe in a hot air balloon multiple times! Unfortunately, none of these attempts have been successful. He will be part of Space Perspective’s first human space balloon flight in 2025.
Larry Ellison’s Japanese Palace
Oracle’s Larry Ellison has a massive estate in California designed like a Japanese emperor’s palace, complete with traditional architecture & gardens. Essentially, it’s a little slice of Japan in the heart of California. Why did he build it? Well, simply because he’s a huge fan of Japanese culture—money can buy you anything!
Mark Zuckerberg’s Reading Challenge
Back in 2015, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg set himself a goal to read a new book every two weeks and also started a book club to share this journey with others. Originally, it was meant to be a new book every month but Zuckerberg decided to up the challenge. He has since then continued to promote the power of reading.
Sergey Brin’s High-Flying Fun
Google co-founder Sergey Brin is definitely a big fan of algorithms and he has another interest, too—the high-flying trapeze. He first picked up the unusual hobby while studying at the University of Stanford. Apparently, he was so interested in the high-stakes activities that when his father asked him if he had chosen a major, Brin replied, “Yes, advanced swimming.” He meant trapeze.
Michael Bloomberg, the Eagle Scout
Long before Michael Bloomberg became New York City’s mayor, he was an Eagle Scout. In fact, since he joined at the age of 12, he was one of the youngest Eagle Scouts in history! Such an early achievement is a clear example of Bloomberg’s commitment to community & leadership.
Jack Ma’s Tai Chi Mastery
Beyond being a business guru, Alibaba’s Jack Ma is also a Tai Chi master. He often talks about how Tai Chi influences his approach to business & life, claiming that it helped him to mix physical well-being with professional success. Ma has even appeared in a short martial arts film, “Gong Shou Dao,” to show off his love for the sport.
Bernard Arnault’s Piano Skills
Since LVMH’s Bernard Arnault has such a love for luxury & fashion, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he’s also a talented pianist. There’s no classier instrument out there! Arnault can play the piano at a concert level, which makes sense since his mother was a pianist and so is his wife.
Ted Turner’s Bison Ranching Passion
You might know Ted Turner as the media mogul behind CNN but did you know he’s also one of the largest bison ranchers in the United States? Turner cares a lot about the American West & is trying to protect the bison population through his ranches. It’s not every day you hear about a billionaire getting down and dirty with bison!
David Geffen’s Yacht Adventures
David Geffen has a thing for luxury yachting. He owns one of the world’s largest yachts called the Rising Sun, which has 82 rooms. This includes a wine cellar, a movie theater and even a basketball court! However, it’s not without controversy—Geffen faced backlash during the COVID-19 pandemic when he revealed he would be self-isolating on the superyacht in the Grenadines.
Ray Dalio’s Ocean Exploration
Ray Dalio is the hedge fund manager behind Bridgewater Associates, who also has a passion for exploring the ocean’s depths. He’s a big supporter of ocean exploration & conservation and has funded numerous initiatives to protect marine life. Dalio founded OceanX, which plans to send a deep-sea drone to explore the apparent oceans on one of Jupiter’s moons!
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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