‘Don’t worry’ about your salary when early on
After 60 years at the helm of Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett is stepping down as CEO of the holding company at the end of 2025.
Throughout his career, the business and investing icon has routinely shared wisdom to help others build successful lives, from singing the praises of compound interest to offering a thought exercise for living without regrets.
At Berkshire Hathaway’s 2025 annual shareholders meeting, Buffett offered this advice to those at the other end of his career: “Don’t worry too much about starting salaries, and be very careful about who you work for, because you’re going to take on the habits of the people around you,” he told the audience in response to a question about lessons he learned early on. “There are some jobs you shouldn’t take.”
While it may be tempting for new employees to accept a job that offers the most competitive salary they can find, Buffett emphasized that other factors may become more important over the course of your career.
‘Find great people to work with’
A good starting salary can help you prepare. Your financial success, your colleagues, and your managers can all play a huge role in your long-term career success, Buffett said.
“Who you engage with is extremely important,” he said. “Don’t expect to make every decision right in this regard, but your life will move in the general direction of the people you work with, the people you admire, the people who are your friends.”
As a teenager learning the ins and outs of running a business, he drew on his experience finding mentors who imparted their wisdom to him and encouraged young people to find and work with people in careers they admired in their own lives.
“I’ve had five bosses in my life, and I’ve loved every one of them; they’ve all been interesting. But I’ve decided that I’d rather work for myself than for anyone else,” Buffett said. “But if you find great people to work with, this is the place to go.”
Don’t do it for money
Besides surrounding yourself with smart and interesting people, Buffett said: It’s smart to look for a job you can do even if you don’t need the money. “I’ve had this for a very long time,” he added.
The 95-year-old actor has not only made a lot of money throughout his career, but he has also often shared how much money he has made. he enjoyed his work and his colleagues. “I do the things I like to do with the people I like,” Buffett said. 2008 interview.
He similarly encouraged young people to find a meaningful career.
“It’s interesting to me that a lot of people in the investment business give up after making a bunch of money,” he said at Berkshire’s 2025 shareholders meeting. “Whether you really need the money or not, you want something you can stick with.”
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