When President-elect Barack Obama met with his Transition Economic Advisory Board in Chicago after his election, David Bonior, Roel Campos, William Daley, William Donaldson, Roger Ferguson, Jennifer Granholm, Anne Mucahy, Richard Parsons, Penny Pritzker, Robert Reich, Robert Rubin, Eric Schmidt, Lawrence Summers, Laura Tyson, Antonio Villaraigosa and Paul Volcker were at the table at the Chicago Hilton. Warren Buffett was connected by speakerphone. ( Chicago Tribune photo by Zbigniew Bzdak )
by Mark Silva
Maybe now we know why President Barack Obama, leader of the free world, and Warren Buffett, "oracle of Omaha,'' get along so well.
They're related.
So says the research of Ancestry.com, the online genealogical enterprise that's gained a name for making long-lost connections.
Obama and Buffett apparentl are even closer than Obama and Brad Pitt, the actor - Ancestry.com pegged them for ninth cousins a couple of years ago.
Obama and Buffett, Ancestry.com reports today, are seventh cousins three times removed - the missing-until-now-link a 17th Century Frenchman named Mareen Duvall, who immigrated to Maryland from France in the 1650s. The researchers say Duvall is the American president's 9th great-grandfather and the conglomerate controlling billionaire's sixth great-grandfather.
For Obama, the relationship comes from his mother's side of the family, Ancestry reports: Her second great grand-mother was a Duvall.
For Buffett, the relationship comes from his father's side: His mother was a Duvall.
The first Duvall, the explanation goes, arrived in the new world as an indentured servant, but by 1659 had purchased land in Anne Arundel County, Md., which he later called Middle Plantation. He was a Jacobite, planter and merchant and also was a conservative in politics.
His descendants have struck up a good relationship - Buffett endorsed Obama during his campaign for president, and Obama has taken some of Buffett's economic advice to heart.
Anastasia Tyler, a genealogist at Ancestry.com, says: "Like most family members, the president and Buffett may not always agree on everything, but this latest discovery confirming they are related may shed light on why the two seem to see eye-to-eye on many issues."
Or maybe not.
This is the latest in a string of Ancestry.com revelations that have filled out a colorful family tree for the first Aftican-American president, the son of a white mother from Kansas and black father from Kenya who also apparently has German roots - his 6th great-grandfather, Johann Conrad Wolfley of Weurttemberg, Germany - and could lay claim to the name, O'Bama: His third great-grandfather, Falmouth Kearney, hailed from Moneygall, Ireland.
Comments
It's funny how he's 50% white- exactly half, and it doesn't seem to matter to most people- apparently the guy is African American. It really says a lot about us and how we judge purely on looks.
Posted by: Joe | December 15, 2009 9:29 AM
This wacko liberal tribune will do anything to try and improve Obama's approval rating.
Posted by: Denny Crane | December 15, 2009 9:58 AM
Just when I thought Mark Silva's hard hitting reporting couldn't get any better. He drops this monster on us. Well done sir.
Posted by: Dave | December 15, 2009 10:11 AM
Genealogical research is fascinating. You always have to expect the unexpected.
Posted by: Jamaicafest | December 15, 2009 10:25 AM
Pray tell, Denny Crane, what exactly is it about the article that you think will improve Obama's approval rating?
Wow. Just wow.
Posted by: Joe | December 15, 2009 11:16 AM
More fluff to distract from the Obama reality -- the constant lying, the staggering arrogance, the dangerous narcissism, the astounding incompetence. Obama truly believes that our freedoms and tax dollars are his Marxist play toys. Let's continue to stand strong against Obama and get Congress out of the hands of the insane Pelosi and Reid in 2010.
Posted by: Jackson | December 15, 2009 11:27 AM
Wow,Jackson, paranoid much?
Posted by: Cheryl | December 15, 2009 11:45 AM
"This wacko liberal tribune will do anything to try and improve Obama's approval rating."
Liberal? Since when? This is the same newspaper that came in a plastic sleeve on a not-too-distant election day that stated "vote Republican". Pleaseee.....
Posted by: Swingstater | December 15, 2009 11:52 AM
"the constant lying, the staggering arrogance, the dangerous narcissism, the astounding incompetence"
These are the code words for the Pavlov dog rabid. Let the drolling begin. I thought cloning was illegal?
Posted by: bill r. | December 15, 2009 11:56 AM
Meantime, Obama continues to set record lows in voter approval. No president in history at this point in his presidency has had a higher disapproval number. Americans are realizing they have been bamboozled by this panhandler.
Posted by: Beth J | December 15, 2009 12:28 PM
Isn't this cute. I can't wait to see who our halfrican-hawaiian messiah is related to next.
Posted by: BDD | December 15, 2009 1:25 PM
Oh what a hot load of b.s.
Oh sure, he's somehow related to the handsome Brad Pitt. And sure he's related to brilliant Buffet.
What about his lineage to the Reverand wright? I wonder how many cousins apart they are.
Of course no one is going to tell us the bad people he;s related to.
Posted by: Dan | December 15, 2009 1:31 PM
I'm a "mutt"; part (Northern) European and Asian. I guess that means that I'm a cousin of Mao and Hitler. Wow. Now that's fascinating. No wonder I'm so screwed up! I mean, am I a socialist or fascist? A little of both? Yikes! The rest of you are in trouble when I run for world dictator!
As Comic Book Guy would say: "Worst article ever!"
Posted by: ethan | December 15, 2009 1:56 PM
Wow. As a Canadian reading all of the comments here, I gotta say. You guys really can't stand each other, eh? This article is merely a point of interest and I liked it. This cynicism you're all writing with seems young, and a little crazy to me. You've got an amazing President and should be proud of him.
Posted by: Jason | December 15, 2009 2:07 PM
Dan: Question: Does your head hurt yet from banging it against the wall with that OLD, TIRED Rev. Wright stuff?
Posted by: Mary | December 15, 2009 2:13 PM
Pray tell, Denny Crane, what exactly is it about the article that you think will improve Obama's approval rating?
Wow. Just wow.
Posted by: Joe
Wow! I guess you're not bright enough to figure it out. The tribune is associating Obama with one of the most brilliant and decent Americans. Duh, now do you get it? Wow! Just wow.
Posted by: Denny Crane | December 15, 2009 2:15 PM
The tribune is associating Obama with one of the most brilliant and decent Americans. Duh, now do you get it? Wow! Just wow.
Posted by: Denny Crane | December 15, 2009 2:15 PM
Oh please...according to the bible of the rabid, Buffet is liberal, therfore he is neither brilliant, decent, nor American. Look at the pathetic responses to anything written in the swamp.
Ps. It wasn't the swamp that made the association, it was Ancestery.com. But better to kill all messengers involved.
Posted by: bill r. | December 15, 2009 2:24 PM
Thank you Jason. I and a countless number of Americans are quite proud of our President! The mess that Bush/Cheney left any incoming President is daunting and will take years to unravel. He's done a great job so far and no doubt, will just get better as time goes on. It's the nuts in Congress that is impeding progress-independent-my-arse-Lieberman and all his right wing cronies. I enjoyed this article too!!
Posted by: sharon | December 15, 2009 2:48 PM
There sure are a lot of bitter people on here today. This is nothing more than a human interest story, folks. Newspapers are full of them. Quit your bellyaching, you raving loons. Great. Now I'm doing it.
Posted by: Cheryl | December 15, 2009 2:53 PM
Somebody better check Buffets' birth certificate!!!!
Posted by: Ed McGuinness | December 15, 2009 3:04 PM
"Somebody better check Buffets' birth certificate!!!!"
I already did! His name is on 313 million shares of WFC followed by 200 million shares of KO. More valuable than his own birth certificate. What does that tell you about a birth certificate? hahaha. . .
Posted by: HmongRodneyKing | December 15, 2009 6:24 PM
billr, duh, the tribune printed it. Ancestry doesn't have a newspaper.
Posted by: Denny Crane | December 15, 2009 6:32 PM