Warren Buffett's college question that he said can build wealth and success

Warren Buffett described a classroom exercise in which students choose five classmates whose lifetime earnings they would take 10% of, and he noted that anyone can work to become one of those chosen; the exchange appears in the CNBC program "Warren Buffett: A Life and Legacy," airing Jan. 18 at 3 p.m. ET.

Warren Buffett and Greg Abel are shown during a walkthrough of Berkshire Hathaway's annual shareholder meeting in Omaha. Buffett has long answered questions at those meetings on a wide range of topics. In a CNBC program titled "Warren Buffett: A Life and Legacy," Becky Quick revisits several of his memorable questions and pieces of advice. One of those is a challenge he used to pose to college students about choosing classmates based on lifetime earnings. Key points: - Buffett asked students to imagine a class of about 300 peers and to name five classmates whose lifetime earnings they would receive 10% of. - He asked students to explain who they would choose and who they would sell short. - Buffett said the chosen people would not necessarily be the best looking, the smartest, or the most athletic. - He added that students could aim to become one of the five people they would choose. - The question and related commentary appear in the CNBC program airing Jan. 18 at 3 p.m. ET. Summary: The exercise reframes a decision about long-term outcomes into a simple classroom choice and highlights traits beyond obvious advantages. The CNBC program revisits this and other moments from Buffett's public talks; the documentary is scheduled to air Jan. 18 at 3 p.m. ET.