Charlie Munger didn't live to 99 by juicing kale or tracking his steps. The billionaire investor, vice chair of Berkshire Hathaway, and famously dry-witted partner of Warren Buffett swore by mental discipline—but when it came to peanut brittle and Diet Coke? He didn't hold back.
Just before his death in November 2023—just shy of turning 100—Munger sat down with CNBC's Becky Quick and proved he hadn't lost a step.
"I drink Diet Coke," he said. "I'm sure Diet Coke shortens my life a little. But I don't give a damn… It's only the good part of life I want anyway. And Diet Coke may be helping me skip it. But who knows? It's helping me skip the last month, not the first month."
That's Munger in a can: brutally honest, self-aware, and sharper than most people half his age.
While most wellness gurus preach moderation like it's a religion, Munger took a slightly different angle. He loved sweets—especially peanut brittle—and told Quick in February 2023 with a grin, "That's what you want to do if you want to live to be 99." He wasn't joking, either. He even joked about "advertising my own product," since his favorite brittle came from See's Candies, a Berkshire Hathaway company.
But this wasn't reckless indulgence. Munger didn't binge. He just didn't believe in punishing himself for the sake of squeezing out a few extra, joyless years. He famously avoided exercise—"I've done almost no exercise on purpose in my life," he said, unless he actually enjoyed the activity, like tennis. "For the first 99 years, I've gotten by without doing any exercise at all."
Still, Munger wasn't oblivious to health. He once lost an eye after a botched surgery. He used a wheelchair in his final years. He outlived a son. He survived a divorce. He knew suffering. And yet, he maintained his mental clarity and signature bite right to the end.
His long life sparked curiosity about whether he was what researchers call a "SuperAger"—someone over 80 who retains the cognitive sharpness of someone decades younger. While some studies tie SuperAging to active lifestyles and brain-friendly routines, they also show that it's not always about eating clean or running marathons. Strong relationships and mental engagement matter more—and Munger had those in spades.
Even in his final year, he stayed plugged in via Zoom, connecting with colleagues and fans alike. He spoke at Zoomtopia in October 2023 and, according to analyst Melody Brue, delivered a gem about donuts: they're not good for you, but if you're disciplined, you can enjoy them now and then.
That was the real secret. Munger didn't obsess over health. He obsessed over avoiding stupidity. "My game in life was always to avoid all standard ways of failing," he told Quick. "You teach me the wrong way to play poker and I will avoid it."
And maybe that's how you make it to 99 with your mind intact and your Diet Coke in hand: avoid the obvious mistakes, don't take life too seriously, and treat yourself to the things you love—even if they come in a can with aspartame.
Because, as Munger put it: "It's only the good part of life I want anyway."
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