An employee from aviation training company FlightSafety International, a subsidiary of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, has won the company’s annual NCAA bracket contest. The anonymous winner claimed the $1 million grand prize after correctly predicting 31 of the 32 games in the first round of the men’s basketball tournament known as March Madness. The 94-year-old Buffett, a Creighton basketball fan, had been unable to give out the big prize since the competition’s inception in 2016.
He originally set out to award anyone who could perfectly predict the Sweet 16. In 2024, after the jackpot remained unclaimed, participants were given the advantage of waiving the results of the eight games among the No.1 and No. 2 seeds.
Still, nobody cracked the code. This year, the rules were changed again so anyone who picks the winners of at least 30 of the tournament’s 32 first-round games would be eligible to win the prize. Twelve Berkshire employees guessed 31 of the 32 first-round games correctly.
Berkshire Hathaway employee triumphs
The $1 million prize went to the person from that group that picked 29 games consecutively before a loss. That winner went on to pick 44 of the 45 games correctly.
The other 11 contestants are receiving $100,000 each. The 2025 March Madness tournament culminated in a thrilling national championship game between No. 1 Houston and No.
1 Florida on Monday, April 7. The high-octane contest saw Florida clinch the title with a final score of 65-70. The tournament left fans on the edge of their seats with numerous upsets, buzzer-beaters, and standout performances.
Florida’s championship victory encapsulated a season filled with resilience and outstanding college basketball.
Image Credits: Photo by dan carlson on Unsplash
