Warren Buffett and Jamie Dimon on Bitcoin: ‘Just Beware’
Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett and J.P. Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon voiced apprehension about Bitcoin during a joint interview on CNBC’s Squawk Box.
During the interview, which aired on Thursday, the two were asked “which one of you hates Bitcoin more?”
“I set a high standard,” Buffett, who has been critical of the cryptocurrency, replied. “I don’t know whether Jamie can top me or not.”
“I don’t want to be a Bitcoin spokesman,” Dimon responded. “Just beware.”
Buffett has long been critical of Bitcoin, calling it a “mirage” in 2014. In May, prior to the Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholders meeting, Buffett said the popular (yet volatile) cryptocurrency was “probably rat poison squared.”
Dimon has also critiqued the cryptocurrency. Last fall he called Bitcoin a “fraud.” In January, he walked back those comments, saying in an interview on Fox Business, that “the blockchain is real,” a reference to Bitcoin’s underlying open accounting technology that is seen by many as a more reliable and secure alternative to standard accounting software.