Warren Buffett says he's among world's '10 luckiest people': 'If my father had been a plumber...'

Legendary investor Warren Buffett, one of the world's richest people with an estimated net worth of around $147 billion, says luck has played as big a role in his success as talent or hard work.

Speaking in an interview with CNBC, the Berkshire Hathaway chairman reflected on the circumstances that shaped his life and career, describing himself as one of the luckiest people on Earth.

"Out of eight billion people, I may be one of the 10 luckiest in the world," Buffett said.

The billionaire investor, who will turn 96 next month, also credited his longevity for allowing him to build wealth over decades.

"I'm losing marbles at this point. I accumulated marbles for a longer time than I deserved. That's just a matter of luck," he remarked.

Buffett said one of the defining moments of his life was being introduced to investing at a young age by his father, Howard Homan Buffett, a stockbroker.

"Fortunately I got exposed, partly accidentally, to what I liked to do very early on, and that was just an accident," Buffett told CNBC.

He added:"If my father had been a plumber, I would not have."

Buffett made his first stock investment at the age of 11, purchasing three shares of Cities Service for $38 each. The investment marked the beginning of what would become one of the most successful careers in the history of global investing.

The investor has repeatedly argued that success is shaped by factors beyond an individual's control. He has often referred to what he calls the "ovarian lottery"—the idea that where a person is born, their family background and the opportunities available to them frequently matter more than talent alone.

Buffett popularised the term during Berkshire Hathaway's 1997 shareholder meeting and reiterated similar views in his 2024 letter to shareholders.

At the time, he acknowledged that being born in the United States and benefiting from the societal advantages of being a white male had contributed significantly to his success.

"So favored by my male status, very early on I had confidence that I would become rich," he wrote.

Although Buffett stepped down as Berkshire Hathaway's CEO last year, handing over the role to Vice Chairman Greg Abel, he continues to remain actively involved with the company.

Currently ranked as the world's 10th-richest person according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Buffett earned his first million dollars at the age of 32 before transforming Berkshire Hathaway into one of the world's most valuable conglomerates.