Known for his folksy charm, frugality, prized annual shareholder's letter, and immense wealth, the "Oracle Of Omaha" Warren Buffet celebrates his birthday, this week on August 30th.

Revealing a knack for making shrew business decisions since grade school, the ole cornhusker's well-chronicled career soared "as high as an elephant's eye" following a stint with value investor guru/mentor, Benjamin Graham. Back home in Omaha, Buffet's early private partnerships funded by family and friends, and his re-engineering of Berkshire Hathaway as the plus ultra holding company of assorted businesses, earned him (and investors) some serious harvest yields that consistently beat benchmark indexes.

Lately, Buffet's been associating with celeb types that lead very different lifestyles than the senior citizen who still lives in the Nebraskan home he bought back in 1957, drives a Cadillac, and does not "do" e-mail. But as an indiviual typically ahead of the curve in investments (municipal bond insurers!) and in the important things in life, Buffet has earmarked the bulk of his wealth (80%) to five charities with the majority going to billionaire buddies Bill and Melinda Gates up and running foundation.

This Week in Wall Street History

8/24/08