Have you heard of Astrid Menks?
Perhaps, you only know her as Billionaire Warren Buffet’s wife, but Astrid Menks is an unorthodox character that you don’t meet every day. Once you know her, you’ll realize that she’s a name you can hardly forget.
Read on for more about this one-of-a-kind lady, her life, and her unconventional family. This article delves deep into the life and behavior of Astrid Menks.
Early Life
Astrid Beaté Menks was born in Latvia in 1946. When she was five, she moved to the US with her parents and five siblings. They first settled on a farm at Verdell, Nebraska, but soon moved to Omaha.
Astrid lost her mother to breast cancer and was taken into foster care. However, nothing more is known about the matter.
In addition, very little is known about her education and early career. All we know is that she joined the University of Nebraska but had to drop out due to financial problems.
Career
Astrid Menks isn’t a high-profile career-driven person. She only held one job since she landed in America.
She was a cocktail waitress at the French Cafe in Omaha, where her life was turned upside down.
Since the late 1970s, there have been no reports about her career. She assumed another role in life, which was taking care of Warren Buffet on many different levels.
Apart from career endeavors, Astrid Menks is a philanthropist and animal lover. She continuously contributes to the local zoo. Currently, she’s managing Warren Buffet’s charitable foundation.
Net Worth
No one thinks of Astrid Menks as someone with a separate net worth. That’s perhaps because she doesn’t hold a solid career to support herself and build her net worth.
Instead, all reports about her net worth only mention her husband’s. Warren Buffet is one of the wealthiest people in America, and probably in the entire world.
As of 2023, Warren Buffet’s net worth is about $120 Billion. That comes as a striking contrast to the modest life that he and Astrid lead.
Family
Although nothing much is known about Astrid’s family in Latvia, she has made herself a new one in the US.
Astrid’s new family comes with an interesting fairytale-like story. It includes her husband, his wife, and their three children. Interested? Let’s break it down!
Chapter One: A Married Couple! (Warren Buffet and Susan Thompson)
When Astrid met Warren Buffet for the first time, he had been married to Susan Thompson since 1952, and had three children together.
However, Buffet’s fast rise to fame and wealth in the 1970s overwhelmed his wife. In 1977, Susan Thompson decided to pursue her career as a nightclub singer in San Fransisco after 25 years of marriage. Still, the couple didn’t split up.
Chapter Two: A New Friendship (Astrid Menks and Warren Buffet)
Astrid Menks met Warren Buffet for the first time in the French Cafe, where she worked as a cocktail waitress. During the 1970s, Buffet was a regular at the cafe.
That was when a strong friendship began to form between Buffet and Menks. Menks was a very caring person, who took care of Warren Buffen. She used to bring him homemade food, especially after his wife moved out of the house.
Chapter Three: An Unconventional Relationship (Astrid, Warren, and Susan)
That’s a relationship you don’t see every day! Two women happily agreed to share the love and attention of one man.
In 1978, Menks and Buffet’s relationship took a new turn as she moved in with him in his famous white stucco mansion.
That doesn’t mean that Warren Buffet was cheating on his wife. Instead, it was a rather complex relationship. The three of them formed a trio, following some sort of arrangement for a very unconventional relationship.
While Susan Thompson and Warren Buffet never got divorced, he was practically living with Menks. For almost 30 years, Menks settled for being the other woman in Buffet’s life, but that was upon a mutual agreement with his wife.
Over the years, the trio were spotted together in public events and even sent out Christmas cards as one little happy family.
The two ladies divided the wife’s position between them. While Susan took over her husband’s charitable organization, Astrid managed the home front.
Chapter Four: A Tragedy and a Wedding (Astrid and Warren’s Wedding Ceremony)
It wasn’t until the early 2000s that Astrid and Warren began officially dating. In 2004, Susan passed away tragically after a battle with cancer.
Even after Susan’s death, the couple didn’t tie the knot right away. They rather waited for two years out of respect.
In 2006, they wed at a simple wedding that took only 15 minutes on Warren Buffet’s 76 birthday. It was a small ceremony with only Astrid’s sister and Warren’s daughter as guests.
Chapter Five: The Other Woman and Step Mom (Astrid Menks and the Buffet Kids)
Warren and Susan have three children: Susan, Peter, and Howard. They’re all on good terms with Menks.
It seems like maintaining a strong relationship with the Buffet couple has enabled Menks to keep their children on her good side. After all, Astrid practically lived with them for many years.
Astrid Menks Now
As of 2023, Menks and Buffet have been happily married for about 17 years. The couple still live in the house Warren bought in Omaha, Nebraska in the 50s.
That tells you a bit about the couple’s unpretentious lifestyle. Although they can afford to live an extravagant life, they both prefer to live like average Americans. Instead, they put their money to the good of others through various charities.
In fact, Menks has been spotted buying her clothes from Goodwill stores. Funnily, there was a major incident when she refused to pay $4 for coffee at Sun Valley.
Upon the death of Susan Thompson, Menks has taken over the management of Buffet’s philanthropic organization. Now, Menks assumes the role of the wife all alone on both the business and the home fronts.
Conclusion
Astrid Menks is an interesting character famous for her unorthodox relationship with Warren Buffet and his late wife Susan Thompson.
The trio formed an arrangement, where she was very close to the couple. After almost forty years of living together, Menks managed to marry Buffet.
Astrid Menks isn’t a character you meet every day. She’s the humblest billionaire, most loyal friend, and most patient lover.