When most people think of Warren Buffett, they picture timeless investment wisdom and decades of market-beating returns. However, few people know that the legendary investor bought his first stock at the age of 11, but like most ordinary investors in the stock market today, he soon regretted selling.

Warren Buffett, commonly known as the ‘Oracle of Omaha’, was born on August 30, 1930 in Omaha, US. Earning a business degree at Columbia University, he studied under legendary value investor Benjamin Graham.

What was Warren Buffett’s first stock pick?

The son of a US congressman, Buffett started investing at a very young age, buying his first stock at age 11. After the Japanese air force attacked the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor during World War II, in 1942 he bought shares in the natural gas company Cities Service for $38.

“I bought my first stock when I was 11 years old. It was the first quarter of 1942, shortly after Pearl Harbor. I spent $114.75,” he said during a 2018 interview with Yahoo Finance.

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Why did Buffett regret his first stock market investment?

However, he regretted his stock selection and timing. “If I put that $114 into the S&P 500 at that time, and reinvest the dividends, figure out what it would be worth today?” he said.

“The answer is about $400,000. So if I had taken that 114 bucks as a little kid I could have saved shoveling snow or whatever I’ve done — $400,000 today. One person’s lifetime. That’s America,” he added during a 2018 interview.

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Buffett’s Timeless Market Wisdom

Buffett has always advised investors to be patient regardless of geopolitical crises, recessions and more. The American investor, businessman and philanthropist is widely regarded as one of the most successful investors in history. Known as the “Oracle of Omaha,” he built his fortune through disciplined, long-term value investing and has been chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, which he transformed from a struggling textile firm into a global powerhouse.

“The stock market is a device for transferring money from the impatient to the patient,” he once said. His letters to shareholders and several quotes and writings are etched in history for generations to come.

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