Charity to auction lunch date with Warren Buffett

A shareholder looks up at a giant photo of Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett at the company trade show during the annual meeting in Omaha, Nebraska April 30, 2011.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - If you have a couple million dollars to spare and a taste for steak, Warren Buffett is looking for lunch companions.

The San Francisco charity GLIDE said on Tuesday it would once again auction off a lunch with the legendary investor to raise funds for its programs, which include meals and healthcare for the poor and homeless. The previous 11 auctions have raised nearly $9 million.

Last year's anonymous winner paid $2.63 million for the right to dine with Buffett and seven friends at the Smith & Wollensky steakhouse in midtown Manhattan. The restaurant's lunch menu includes filet mignon starting at $36.50 and salads from $11.50.

Buffett, who was introduced to GLIDE via his late, first wife Susan, is a red meat devotee who encourages shareholders to visit his favourite Omaha steakhouse during his conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting there.

The auction, on eBay's charitable giving site, begins June 5 at 10:30 p.m. EDT and runs through 10:30 p.m. EDT on June 10. Bidding starts at $25,000 and all potential bidders have to prequalify at www.LunchWithWarrenBuffett.com.

Last year, nine qualified bidders made a total of 77 bids, with the price nearly tripling in the last day.

(Reporting by Ben Berkowitz, editing by Maureen Bavdek)