Billionaire Charlie Munger Had Seven Children Split Between Two Marriages

The Gist:

• Charlie Munger had seven children from two different marriages, three with his first wife and four with his second. He also had two step-children.
• Charlie was married once from 1946 to 1953, and then again from 1956 to 2010, when his second wife died.
• Charlie was a professed atheist but said he was open to the notion that there was some higher being out there.

As Warren Buffett's right-hand man, and an incredibly savvy investor in his own right, Charlie Munger had a substantial net worth of roughly $2.6 billion at the time of his death. Following the news that he had died at the age of 99 on Nov. 28, 2023, many wanted to learn more about one of the wealthiest men in the world.

Charlie, who served in World War II, was much more reserved than some of the billionaires who make headlines regularly. Charlie was known to give pragmatic advice on life and investing, but did he have any kids to pass that advice on to? As it turns out, he had seven.

Charlie had seven children over the course of his life across two marriages. He had three children with his first wife: Wendy Munger, Molly Munger, and Teddy Munger, who died before his father. In his second marriage, he had four more children: Charles T. Munger Jr., Emilie Munger Ogden, Barry A. Munger, and Philip R. Munger. He also had two stepchildren: William Harold Borthwick and David Borthwick.

Although each of Charlie's children surely stands to inherit quite a bit from his estate, Charlie was intentional. He raised his children so that they wouldn't live ostentatiously. Charlie and Warren both agreed to live in the same houses they'd lived in for decades instead of upgrading to grander homes.

"I didn't think it would be good for the children," he said, explaining his choice to live a less grandiose life.

Charlie was married twice over the course of his life. His first marriage was to Nancy Huggins, who was his sister's roommate. The two were married from 1946 to 1953, and Nancy died of cancer in 2002 at age 76. Following his divorce from Nancy Huggins, Charlie married Nancy Barry in 1956, and the two were married for decades until her death in 2010. Both Charlie and Nancy Barry had children from previous marriages when they got together.

Charlie was an atheist. He said that while he didn't think there was a personal God, he was receptive to the notion that there might be some being with higher intelligence out there. He also added that while he wasn't personally religious, he recognized that religion can have immense value in giving people a sense of morality and community as they live their lives.

Charlie was also a Republican, but he was an unconventional one. He wasn't afraid to speak his mind on a wide array of issues as he moved through the world.