Buffett's Big 'Oops!'

Left Documents Giving Billions To Gates Foundation In TV Studio

(CBS)  Warren Buffet's decision to make a mega-donation to charity was followed by a mega-gaffe, though one that was quickly remedied.

The CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, and the world's second-richest man, is giving almost all his fortune to charity, with the bulk of that, some $30 billion, earmarked for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Buffett's overall philanthropic gesture is thought to be the largest ever.

He and the Gateses sat down for an interview Monday with Buffett's close friend, PBS talk show host Charlie Rose.

And Rose says the most excitement came when the session ended.

"We were all walking down. I was gonna say goodbye to them at the sidewalk," he told The Early Show co-anchor Hannah Storm Monday. "And Warren turns to me and says, 'I forget the documents!' I said, 'Where are they?' And he said, 'I left them in the studio.' So, I ran back to the studio and brought back the documents and Bill said, 'Check and make sure I (Rose) didn't change the beneficiary!'

The Charlie Rose Foundation, with assets of $30 billion, suddenly came into existence, Rose joked.

He described the personal relationship between Buffett and Gates, the head of Microsoft and world's wealthiest man, as "incredible. It's one of the great friendships. Somebody said in the paper today that Warren needed somebody as smart as Bill to talk to and Bill needed somebody as smart as Warren to talk to.

"They vacation together. I've been with them when they were playing bridge, and that's interesting to watch. I've been with them when they were playing poker together. It's not father-son at all. Bill has a father, Warren has children. It's just two men who have grown to like each other, admire each other, and now they have this unique opportunity because Bill does well, what Warren didn't want to do, and now Warren has a legacy that will affect millions of people."