It's fairly well known that Warren Buffet still lives in the house he bought in the fifties before he got ultra wealthy, but I was watching a documentary a couple of weeks back where he was explaining that his choice of breakfast at the McDonald's drive-thru window is dictated by the market closing price the day before. That's hardcore... and a little eccentric probably.
In [1], Bill Gates recounts an anecdote about Buffett (with a picture): Remember the laugh we had when we traveled together to Hong Kong and decided to get lunch at McDonald’s? You offered to pay, dug into your pocket, and pulled out…coupons!
Living in the same house is a popular fact, but it might be a little dishonest. It's a big house, with a lot of space around it, and it's obviously been kept up to date with somebody who has money. It's not at all like the 50 year old house my grandparents have.
I'm not sure how dishonest it is, as I can't imagine he stays put in the house for PR value.
Beyond that, I wouldn't assume that he's had an incredibly out-of-the-ordinary level of work done on the house. It's time-consuming, disruptive and messy.
Adjusting for his budget, I can only imagine this would all be made worse if the upgrades include holodecks, teleporters and a subterranean command center.
Found it:
http://www.hbo.com/documentaries/becoming-warren-buffett