Sun Valley moguls compete for ‘best dressed’ with odd outfits

Fashion isn’t the first thing that comes to mind at Sun Valley’s “summer camp for billionaires,” but Warren Buffett and other titans of the business and media worlds are giving it their best shot this week.

Well-heeled attendees at Allen & Co.’s annual Sun Valley Conference in Idaho mostly ditched their suits and ties for an array of outfits ranging from the colorful to the bizarre.

Notable candidates for the “best dressed” title included the billionaire “Oracle of Omaha” Warren Buffett, who showed up on Tuesday wearing a lime-green, lizard-printed shirt and khakis – a familiar sight for fans of the Berkshire Hathaway chairman’s fashion sensibilities.

IAC Chairman Barry Diller also turned heads with floral-themed Dior button-down – though he has the benefit of being married to famed fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg to guide his sartorial decisions.

Alice + Olivia Stacey Bendet made a fashionable appearance with an eye-catching yellow hat and green bag, while film producer Brian Grazer strutted around in an yellow jacket from Italian brand Stone Island that likely set him back several hundred dollars.

Jason Ballard, the boss and co-founder of 3D printing company Icon Build, honored the conference’s Idaho locale with a festive cowboy hat. Palantir Technologies CEO Alex Karp wore a bright-yellow zip-up, while venture capitalist Vivi Nevo wore a jet-back designer jacket while sipping his coffee.

Other moguls were far less creative in their wardrobe choices. Tech billionaire Bill Gates opted for his standard green sweater more suited for the boardroom than a fashion magazine, while former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg wore a striped shirt with slacks.

Some guests kept it casual while strolling the grounds. CNN anchor Anderson Cooper was spotted walking around in sweatpants, while Marquis Jet co-founder Jesse Itzler went to lunch wearing a headband.

The wide spectrum of fashion choices is nothing new for avid followers of the Sun Valley Conference, which Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg has been known to attend in his trademark hoodie.

This year’s mingling between top executives in media, business, tech and entertainment occurred against a more somber backdrop than it has in the recent past. The S&P 500 just closed its worst first-half performance in decades and warnings about an oncoming recession are gathering momentum.

But based on the photos emerging from the summit, the world’s richest and most powerful executives don’t appear to be too concerned.