Warren Buffet Won a $1 Million Bet and Donated It to a Girls' Charity Buffet bet $1 million back in 2007 that an S&P 500 stock index would mature better than a basket of hedge funds over the next 10 years. That bet officially came to fruition last year, with the index fund returning 7.1 percent compounded annually vs. the basket of funds average return of 2.2 percent. Buffet had promised to donate the money to 'Girls Inc. of Omaha' who said that they will use the money for housing for girls who age out of foster care. “That’s a really life-changing gift for the girls, and it’s certainly a big change for our agency as well." “Of course I had full confidence that he would win, but I thought, ‘10 years, it’s so long. Who knows?’”