Now, despite her sterling surname, Buffett is getting by on $40,000 or so a year, largely on the sale of her paintings (collectors include Shirley Temple's daughter Lori Black and Hollywood special-effects guru Scott Ross). There's no denying that the Buffett name piques interest in the art world, where Nicole's pieces have fetched as much as $8000. One of her techniques is to leave unfinished works outside, exposed to the elements. "I like to see what happens," she says, hovering over canvases mottled with sunbursts of color.
Nicole supplements her income by working at a San Francisco boutique, but still can't afford cable or health insurance. Since their falling-out, Buffett has begun mailing sizable Christmas checks to his grandchildren, despite his no-freebies rule. Even so, Nicole vigorously insists that she has no regrets. "I think it shows he's trying to reach out to his grandkids in a more personal way," she says, before pausing. "And probably he's rewarding them for behaving."
...In the two years since they last spoke, Nicole has been besieged by her grandfather's image. "I can't turn on the TV or read the paper without seeing him," she says, referring to his role in the Wall Street bailout and as Barack Obama's adviser during his presidential bid. She dreams about a reconciliation, however unlikely. Still, she says she'll never stop being a Buffett. "I will always be self-reliant," she says, curled up on her couch, her dreadlocks draping her body like a quilt. "Grandpa taught me that, and it has set the tone for my life."
http://www.marieclaire.com/world-reports/news/latest/warren-buffett-granddaughter-nicole-buffett
He may have a no support rule but he is using his money as a way to keep his family in line, according to this article.
What is hypocrital about this is he's quoted as having unconditional love for his children but as this article points out it's quite the opposite. His grand-daughter made a mistake by not consulting him before being interviewed and was disowned. This is the only Grandfather she knows, doesn't matter if she adopted or not, she was accepted ino the family as a Buffet. One mistake and she's gone? And as far as Grandpa Buffet is concerned, she can't come back. Sad.
