Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Saturday, May 31, 2025

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

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
Head of Gaza Aid Group Resigns Amid Humanitarian Concerns
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Denmark Increases Retirement Age to 70, Setting a European Precedent
Iranian Director Jafar Panahi Wins Palme d'Or at Cannes
Israeli Airstrike Kills Nine Children of Gaza Doctor
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki Erupts Again, Spewing Ash Cloud over Flores Island
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
Senate Democrats Move to Censure Trump Over Qatar Jet Gift
Hamas Releases Last Living US Hostage from Gaza Amid Ongoing Conflict
×