Susan was born in
Omaha,
Nebraska, and graduated from
Omaha Central High School. Her father,
William Hertzog Thompson, was a minister, psychologist,
dean at the
University of Nebraska-Omaha, and one-time campaign manager for
Howard Buffett. Though her parents and Warren's knew one another, they met at
Northwestern University, via Susan's roommate Roberta Buffett, Warren's sister. Susan and Warren married in 1952 at the Dundee Presbyterian Church in Omaha. They had three children together:
Susan (born July 30, 1953),
Howard (born December 16, 1954), and
Peter (born May 4, 1958). Allegations have been made regarding Susan's conduct during her marriage to Warren. These include claims that in the mistaken belief her husband had cheated on her with his friend,
Katharine Graham, she sent Graham a passive-aggressive letter that "let her date Warren Buffett", and that she had a relationship with her tennis coach, John McCabe. she left her husband and moved to a small apartment in San Francisco with her paramour, John McCabe, in Gramercy Tower on
Nob Hill. Later, she moved into a large condominium on Broadway near Scott Street in
Pacific Heights with views of the
Golden Gate Bridge and
Alcatraz. She remained married and on good terms with her husband, vacationing together with him and spending time assisting charitable groups. She performed in New York and released several CDs. According to
Roger Lowenstein's 1995 Random House biography,
Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist, while Warren had encouraged Susan to pursue her career in music, he was heartbroken by her move. In 1978, Susan introduced her husband to
Astrid Menks, who moved in with Warren in their Omaha home, and married him after Susan's death. The Buffetts attended public functions as husband and wife though they had not lived together for more than half of their marriage. The Buffetts even signed
Christmas cards, Warren, Susan, and Astrid, and were often seen together as a trio. ==Later life==