--- title: "Warren Buffet Associate Calls Bitcoin “Disgusting and Contrary to the Interests of Civilization”" description: "Charlie Munger, vice chairman of the Warren Buffett-led investment firm Berkshire Hathaway, had no kind words to spare for Bitcoin." date: "2021-05-03" modified: "2021-05-03" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/warren-buffet-associate-calls-bitcoin-disgusting" categories: - "Bitcoin" - "Blockchain" - "Cryptocurrency" - "Future Society" tags: - "bitcoin" - "cryptocurrencies" - "the digest" - "wall street" --- # Warren Buffet Associate Calls Bitcoin “Disgusting and Contrary to the Interests of Civilization” ![Charlie Munger, vice chairman of the Warren Buffett-led investment firm Berkshire Hathaway, had no kind words to spare for Bitcoin.]() *\Image: Futurism\* ## Bitcoin Bear While Bitcoin has exploded in popularity and acceptance, even among Wall Street veterans, not everybody has warmed up to the idea of a decentralized digital currency. Most recently, Charlie Munger, vice chairman of the Warren Buffett-led investment firm Berkshire Hathaway, had no kind words to spare for Bitcoin. During a question and answer session at the company's annual shareholder meeting on Saturday, [*CNBC* reports](), the 97-year-old called bitcoin unloaded on the digital currency. "Of course I hate the bitcoin success," he 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." "I think I should say modestly that the whole damn development is disgusting and contrary to the interests of civilization," Munger added. ## Soaring Highs Buffett, however, declined to directly comment on bitcoin, saying he didn't want to alienate anybody off who happened to be invested in it, according to *CNBC*. Bitcoin has had a killer year so far, with its value hitting all times highs above $60,000. The token is also gaining more and more [support from Wall Street]() and a growing number of large companies, [including Tesla](). Whether Munger's opinion on Bitcoin will have any effect — or be of any relevance going forward — is anybody's guess. **READ MORE:** [Charlie Munger calls bitcoin ‘disgusting and contrary to the interests of civilization’]() \[*CNBC*\] ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()