Charlie Munger’s golden words that Warren Buffett believes in: ‘Write your obituary, live accordingly’

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett handed over the reins of Berkshire Hathaway to his successor Greg Abel this month, and in the meantime his various life advice and investment mantras are gaining even more popularity on social media.

In a viral post on

Charlie Munger’s advice was retrospective and thought-provoking: “Write your obituary the way you want it to be written and live your life accordingly.”

How to avoid big mistakes: Warren Buffett says it helps…

Speaking at Berkshire Hathaway’s annual shareholder meeting press conference in 2023, Buffett answered a question about how to avoid big mistakes in life.

“If I had advice, I would use Charlie (Munger)’s advice: Read your obituary thoughtfully and then start choosing educational paths, social paths… you know, whatever your particular situation is in terms of (pursuing) attribution,” he said.

Warren Buffett also told the audience that living in the US is an advantage in itself. “You’re lucky to live in this country. Because, first of all, you have opportunities here that don’t exist in many places in the world. You know, the opportunities in this country are basically unlimited.”

Charlie Munger’s philosophy of living well

Speaking to CNBC in November 2023, Munger said he advised Buffett to “write his obituary the way he wants it to be written and then live his life accordingly. Look at the events and live backwards,” adding that starting at the end “isn’t a bad idea.”

He added, “I wrote my obituary the way I lived my life, and if you want to pay attention to it, that’s okay with me. And if they want to ignore it, that’s okay with me, too. I’m going to die. I’m very good at spotting unfair advantages, and just as I got unfair advantages in my old age, I got unfair advantages in my old age. And when they came, I caught ’em: boom, boom, boom.”

He passed away later that month on November 29, 2023.