Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Wednesday, Mar 04, 2026

Berkshire Hathaway's Munger Blasts Bitcoin as 'Contrary to Interests of Civilization'

Berkshire Hathaway's Munger Blasts Bitcoin as 'Contrary to Interests of Civilization'

This year, the world's largest cryptocurrency experienced a meteoric rise, topping higher than $62,000 per coin in April, as companies ranging from Tesla to big Wall Street banks helped to introduce bitcoin to the mainstream, so now the famous crypto has a market capitalization of $1 trillion.

With bitcoin's record-breaking run over the last few months, Berkshire Hathaway Vice Chairman and worldwide known investor Charlie Munger's discontent for the digital asset has only grown, he said on Saturday at Berkshire’s annual shareholder meeting.

"Of course I hate the bitcoin success," the 97-year-old Munger said."I don’t welcome a currency that’s so useful to kidnappers and extortionists and so forth, nor do I like just shuffling out of your extra billions of billions of dollars to somebody who just invented a new financial product out of thin air."

He continued by saying that he thinks "that the whole damn development is disgusting and contrary to the interests of civilization," to put it "modestly."

Berkshire's CEO Warren Buffett, who had previously ignored the question about bitcoin, said in response to Munger's comment, "I'm alright on that one." The "Oracle of Omaha" said he didn't want to comment on the digital token specifically because he did not want to annoy anyone who is long.

Some businesses and government officials are turning to bitcoin as a reserve investment. Tesla recently placed a $1.5 billion bet on bitcoin and now recognizes it as a form of payment for its vehicles. Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley are looking to provide bitcoin exposure to their high-net-worth clients.

The latest comments are not the first time Munger has slammed the much-hyped cryptocurrency, as he has long chastised bitcoin for its high volatility and lack of regulatory oversight. At the Daily Journal's annual shareholders meeting in February, Munger said that bitcoin is too risky to be used as a medium of exchange.

"It’s really kind of an artificial substitute for gold. And since I never buy any gold, I never buy any bitcoin," Munger said. "Bitcoin reminds me of what Oscar Wilde said about fox hunting. He said it was the pursuit of the uneatable by the unspeakable."

According to Coin Metrics, bitcoin last traded above $57,000, up from about $30,000 at the start of 2021.

The world's most famous cryptocurrency operating on a blockchain has the benefit of avoiding the drawbacks of centralized currencies, such as inflation and financial crises, enthusiasts claim. The bitcoin digital currency has a 21 million-unit supply cap. Nearly 18.6 million blocks have already been mined, and experts predict that mining will continue for another 120 years as new blocks become more difficult to produce.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
No Verified Confirmation of Ronaldo Departure Linked to Iran Conflict or AFC Suspension
No Verified Evidence of Israeli Intelligence Arrests in Qatar or Saudi Arabia
Drone Attack Forces Temporary Shutdown of Saudi Arabia’s Largest Oil Refinery
Israel Intensifies Air Campaign in Tehran as Iran Expands Regional Retaliation
Iranian Strikes Escalate Middle East Conflict, Drawing Saudi Arabia Closer to Wider War
No Verified Confirmation of Drone Strike on King Fahd Causeway Amid Regional Tensions
No Verified Evidence Saudi Crown Prince Is Seeking to Weaken Israel Amid Regional Tensions
Reports Emerge of Drone Strike Near US Embassy in Saudi Arabia as Americans Told to Shelter
Saudi Arabia Weighs Strategic Options as Tensions With Iran Intensify
Iran Expands Strikes on Saudi and Qatari Infrastructure, Opening a New Front in Gulf Conflict
Western Navies Sound Alarm as Russian Shadow Tankers Transit NATO Waters in Defiance of Sanctions
U.S. Embassy in Riyadh Struck by Drones Amid Escalating Iran Conflict
Imola Emerges as Standby Venue if Bahrain or Saudi Arabia Grands Prix Are Cancelled
Uncertainty Clouds $24 Billion Gulf Investment Linked to Paramount–WBD Deal
Middle East Strikes Disrupt Qatar LNG, Saudi Refining and Israeli Energy Fields
Gulf States Signal Possible Collective Action Over Iran’s Escalating Strikes
Saudi Arabia Summons Iranian Ambassador After Cross-Border Attacks
Saudi Arabia Intercepts Drones Targeting Ras Tanura Oil Refinery as Conflict Escalates
Saudi Arabia Clarifies It Supported Diplomacy With Iran, Not Military Escalation
Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Confer on Escalating Iran Crisis
Drone Strike Forces Shutdown of Saudi Arabia’s Largest Oil Refinery
Saudi Arabia Signals Harder Line on Iran as Regional Conflict Deepens
Strikes in Qatar and Saudi Arabia Pull Energy Infrastructure Deeper Into Expanding Middle East Conflict
U.S. and Israel Intensify Strikes on Iran as Conflict Expands to Lebanon and Gulf States
Violent Pro-Iranian Protesters Storm U.S. Consulate in Karachi
Missile Debris Sparks Fires at Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port Near Palm Jumeirah
Iran Strikes U.S. Fifth Fleet Headquarters in Bahrain Amid Wider Gulf Retaliation
Emerging Saudi–Turkish Alignment Draws Attention as Potential Strategic Challenge for Israel
Saudi Arabia Unveils $100 Billion Technology Investment Fund to Accelerate Post-Oil Diversification
US Lawmakers Question White House Consideration of Saudi Nuclear Enrichment Framework
Saudi Arabia Reaffirms Firm Commitment to Two-State Solution in Renewed Diplomatic Push
Saudi Arabia Launches Central Kitchen in Gaza to Deliver 24,000 Meals a Day
Saudi Arabia Announces $346 Million Support Package for Yemen in Renewed Humanitarian Push
Saudi Investors Increase US Equity Exposure Amid Domestic Market Weakness
Saudi Arabia Unveils Major Desert Gas Development in Strategic Shift Toward Diversified Energy Growth
Satellite Images Indicate Increased Aircraft Presence at Saudi Airbase Hosting US Forces
Telephone Diplomacy Sparks Tensions Between Two Key US Allies After Trump Intervention
Asian LPG Prices Surge After Damage Forces Saudi Aramco Export Disruptions
Saudi Arabia Unveils $100 Billion AI Infrastructure Fund to Challenge US and China
Saudi Stocks Close Lower as Tadawul All Share Index Falls 1.28 Percent
Saudi Arabia Launches Smart Mapping System to Enhance Pilgrim Experience at Holy Sites
Cristiano Ronaldo Acquires 25 Percent Stake in Saudi-Owned Spanish Club Almería
U.S.–Saudi Relations Balance Transactional Deal-Making with Expanding Strategic Ambitions
Israel’s President Herzog Signals Cautious Message on Saudi Ties at UAE Iftar in Tel Aviv
United States and Saudi Arabia Strengthen Security Ties with Joint Explosive Ordnance Disposal Exercise
Saudi Arabia Responds to Israel–UAE Moves in Somalia as Regional Rivalries Intensify
Saudi Arabia Showcases Expanding Defense Ambitions at World Defense Show 2026
SECRETARY RUBIO on IRAN: Iran poses a very great threat to the United States, and has for a very long time.
Larry Summers, the former U.S. Treasury Secretary, is resigning from Harvard University as fallout continues over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
U.S. stocks ended higher on Wednesday, with the Dow gaining about six-tenths of a percent, the S&P 500 adding eight-tenths of a percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq climbing roughly one-and-a-quarter percent.
×