Warren Buffett to Receive Nation's Highest Civilian Honor

Presidential Medal of Freedom

Warren Buffett will receive the nation's highest civilian honor at a White House ceremony early next year. President Obama named Buffett today as one of 15 recipients of the 2010 Presidential Medal of Freedom.

According to a White House news releasethis afternoon, the Medal of Freedom is "presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors."

The release calls Buffett an "American investor, industrialist, and philanthropist" who is often referred to as "legendary."

It notes that Buffett has pledged to give 99 percent of his net worth to philanthropic endeavors and cites his co-founding (with Bill Gates) of The Giving Pledge, "an organization that encourages wealthy Americans to devote at least 50 percent of their net worth to philanthropy."

Among the other recipients: President George H.W. Bush, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Congressman John Lewis, and Baseball Hall of Famer Stan "The Man" Musial.

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