Monday, May 12, 2014
Eric Lefante ’09, ’10 and Carrie Fischer ’10 became engaged with an assist from the Oracle from Omaha
by Adam Grybowski
An alumnus enlisted the help of billionaire Warren Buffett to pop the question to his girlfriend, Carrie Fischer ’10, at Berkshire Hathaway's 2014 annual shareholders meeting in Omaha, Neb., earlier this month.
Borsheims Jewelry, a Berkshire company that hosted a shareholder reception during the meeting, posted a video of Eric Lefante ’09, ’10 proposing on its YouTube channel. The video has been viewed nearly 14,000 times.
The proposal was six weeks in the making, according to CBS News, which interviewed Lefante, who majored in finance at Rider, and Fischer, who majored in accounting, after the surprise. As a ruse, he told Fischer he had picked out a necklace as an early birthday present. In the video, Buffett, 83, appears to ascertain a value on the item, and after doing so, procures a ring from his pocket, laying it on the table in front of the couple.
“I didn’t really know what was happening,” Fischer told CBS. “I didn’t even know we were going to meet Warren Buffett, to be honest.”
After Buffett, who is often cited as the most successful investor of the past century, presents the ring, Lefante doesn’t immediately propose. Fischer appears momentarily bewildered until Buffett steps in and suggests she try the ring on. Finally, Lefante makes his move, and she accepts before he’s even done asking the question.
After a bottle of champagne appears, Buffett fills the newlyweds' glasses and leads a cheers. “Good things happen at Borsheims,” he says before offering congratulations and making an exit.
Media reports estimate that about 40,000 people attended the meeting, an annual event that gives investors the chance to hear Buffett and his business partner, Charlie Munger, speak about the economy, the market and investing.