{
  "id": 1456241,
  "title": "Howard Buffett: 27 Reisen ins Kriegsgebiet: Warren Buffetts Sohn ist „der größte Freund der Ukraine“",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/howard-buffett-27-reisen-ins-kriegsgebiet-warren-buffetts-sohn-ist",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-17T09:13:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/international/howard-buffett-wir-stehen-so-lange-an-der-seite-der-ukraine-wie-es-noetig-ist/100238525.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "On February 24, 2022, Howard Buffett experienced a spiritual awakening. The son of US billionaire investor Warren Buffett felt so shaken by Russia's invasion of Ukraine that he immediately decided to send his aid team \"with everything we have,\" he told a German Marshall Fund conference in Gdansk, Poland. At first, his team hesitated, but they later realized Ukraine was more important than all their other projects. Last year, the Howard-Buffett Foundation spent half its aid on the war-torn country, with a total expenditure of $1.5 billion by the end of 2026. Howard Buffett's ability to provide such a large sum quickly was attributed to his famous name, as he is Warren Buffett's son. However, instead of following in his father's footsteps and increasing the funds in his father's holding, Howard Buffett decided to take a different path. As the middle of Warren Buffett's three children, Howard has always been focused on his own moral compass, never interested in actively leading Berkshire Holding. Instead, he identifies himself more as a farmer, photographer, and philanthropist. General Stanley McChrystal, a former US Army commander in Afghanistan, once said that in life, one is tested \"once or twice,\" and for Howard Buffett, Ukraine was his test. He saw Ukraine as a monumental event, like the Third World War. If he hadn't engaged, he would have regretted it for the rest of his life. Through his foundation, funds were used for food, mine clearance, prosthetics, and infrastructure in Ukraine. In the past four and a half years, Buffett visited the war zone 27 times. The governor of the front region of Cherson, Oleksandr Prokudin, calls Buffett \"the greatest friend of Ukraine.\" Together, the two sought shelter in basements from Russian drones and stayed at school productions, which like much of life in the port city of Cherson, are now held underground. Buffett, a hobby photographer, took thousands of photos of life in the war and published the most striking in the book \"Courage of a Nation.\" He also funded the documentary \"Porcelain War\" about Ukrainian artists in Charkiw, which was nominated for an Oscar in 2025. The generous donor understands that his philanthropic work is possible only due to the wealth generated by his father's holdings and what he and his siblings Susie (73) and Peter (68) will inherit. Bloomberg estimates this wealth at around $150 billion. \"You can build resources while gathering experience and developing long-term goals, but since you'll receive annual donations, there's no need to build large reserves,\" Warren Buffett wrote in his 2006 promises to his children. And all three seem to know how to make good use of this inheritance. Susie and Peter also have foundations to which they contribute to charitable causes and belong to the largest philanthropists in the world, according to Forbes. Warren Buffett has announced that he will donate around 99% of his wealth to charitable causes and has spent much time and energy restructuring his inheritance. Howard and Susie are to lead a new foundation to distribute the money for charitable purposes after Buffett's death. Peter, however, declined to participate. Until then, Howard Buffett wants to improve the world in Ukraine and elsewhere with his current foundation, traveling to the poorest corners of the world to combat hunger with sustainable agriculture. In Congo, he invested in hydroelectric power plants to provide electricity to remote regions. In Ghana, his foundation worked with machinery manufacturers to train farmers in sustainable agriculture. Trusting only in himself and not large organizations or governments, Buffett prefers to distribute funds directly to projects in Ukraine, funding machinery for farmers, mine clearance, or documenting war crimes. Farmers are a particular concern for Buffett as he owns several farms.",
  "summary": "Der Sprössling des US-Investors hat eine Mission – und sie heißt nicht Berkshire. Er will mit seinem Geld „die Welt verbessern“. Dafür reist er immer wieder in die Ukraine.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}