Billionaires are often associated with extravagant spending and luxurious lifestyles. Yet, quite a few high-net-worth individuals are choosing a notably modest approach to daily living.

According to the UBS Billionaire Ambitions Report 2025, the collective wealth of billionaires is projected to increase by $5.9 trillion. However, not all of them display their fortunes through flashy assets or opulent lifestyles.

From Warren Buffett’s well-known preference for simple meals to Elon Musk’s occasional habit of sleeping in his office, several prominent billionaires maintain relatively understated routines. Many have opted against maintaining large collections of luxury cars or palatial homes with extravagant features.

Here are some billionaires from across the world who are known for their preference for simplicity, focus, and a more grounded way of living:

Warren Buffett

With a net worth of $142.3 billion, according to Forbes, Buffett is the former CEO and largest shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway. One of the most successful investors of all time, he is part of the 1% club who have decided to give away 99% of their wealth to charities. The twelfth richest in the world, he still resides in his Omaha bungalow bought for $31,000 in 1958.

At the helm of slow living, the 95-year-old billionaire often enjoys a McDonald’s hamburger and a cherry Coke. In fact, the Buffett diet also includes five Cokes a day, potato chips, and Cheetos. Least bothered by luxury cars or modern-day ‘gadgets’, Buffett once told CNBC, “You will be successful if the people that you would hope to have love you, do love you,” – and that drives his simplistic life.

warren buffett
Warren Buffett has McDonald’s, Coke, and Chips at 95. (Image: Reuters)

Buffett, as per Investopedia, also drives a 2014 Cadillac and resisted buying a smartphone till 2020. Even today, his iPhone has no apps, he prefers to fly commercial, and advocates the use of coupons. One of his core investing philosophies is using cash, which builds accountability. But interestingly, his hobbies include playing bridge and reading over 500 pages a day.

“My life couldn’t be happier. In fact, it’d be worse if I had six or eight houses. So, I have everything I need to have, and I don’t need any more because it doesn’t make a difference after a point,” Buffett had said in a shareholder meeting in 2014.

Elon Musk

The richest man in the world, with a net worth of over 30 billionaires combined, the EV tycoon is estimated to have over $827 billion to his name. But contradictory to billionaire standards, he still lives a Spartan life. Elon Musk‘s modest living set-up is located near SpaceX’s Starbase launch site. Maye Musk, the billionaire’s mother, had once revealed that his ‘home’ had an empty fridge, had one towel, and she slept in the garage.

Reportedly valued at $45,000, his frugal lifestyle is linked to his workaholism. Sleeping at 3 AM, he has dedicated his entire life to building Tesla, SpaceX, and X (formerly Twitter, purchased for $44 billion). Often spotted in the same clothes, Musk does not flash logos. In 2020, he shared on X, “I am selling all physical possessions. Will own no house,” listing his seven California homes for $137 million.

In a post by Dima Zeniuk, an influencer who follows Musk closely, shared in March 2026, a photo from the billionaire’s Texas house on X. He wrote, “Elon Musk’s house in Boca Chica, Texas. No fancy things, only what’s essential for living,” for a picture which showed a basic wooden floor, double-door fridge, and a rocket installation in the middle of the living room.

Azim Premji

The founder chairman of Wipro, the Mumbai-based billionaire, Azim Premji‘s net worth of nearly $8.4 billion, according to Forbes. Who once dropped out of Stanford in 1966 to run his family’s cooking oil business, Premji committed nearly $265 million from 2022-25 towards underprivileged girls in India.

azim premji
Azim Premji has a net worth of $8.4 billion as per Forbes. (Image: X)

One of the most influential voices in India, his simplistic living is an ode to his humility. Driving a simple Toyota Corolla, as per Business Insider, he flies economy and stays in budget hotels when he travels.

Premji also prioritises home-cooked meals and often sticks to a few wardrobe staples, like a crisp shirt and trousers. Public information reports no yachts or mansions under his name, while his Bengaluru home is known to be a sustainable and farmhouse-style construction.

Savitri Jindal

India’s richest woman, the matriarch of the Jindal Group, Savitri Jindal and family are worth nearly $39 billion, as per Forbes. Leading a minimal life away from the public eye, she has worked extensively towards preserving the cultural and artistic heritage of India.

savitri jindal
Savitri Jindal is the richest female billionaire in India. (Image: X)

Often seen in minimal cotton sarees, she does not prioritise designer wear or jewellery. A minister of the Haryana government, she campaigns in simple cars.

Richer than Azim Premji, her lifestyle does not scream ‘billionaire’. In fact, as per a Business Insider India report, Jindal still draws a pension of Rs 90,000 from the Indian government.