
The place to be Tuesday night in Manhattan wasn't uptown near the UN - but rather downtown where dozens of the richest and most important people in the world were gathered at Chelsea Piers to celebrate the magazine that celebrates capitalism .

Billionaire Warren Buffett was joined by a roll call of the world's richest people on to celebrate Forbes' 100 anniversary.

Among those on stage were billionaires Hamdi Ulukaya, CEO of Chobani; Vegas tycoon Steve Wynn, CEO of Wynn Resorts; Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, former GE boss Jack Welch; entrepreneur and investor Philip Anschutz; Russian entrepreneur Yuri Milner and investor Ray Dalio.

Joining the billionaires on stage was Sean 'Diddy' Combs, who's worth $820million.

The net worth of the people on stage when Buffett spoke totaled $147billion.

Billionaire Warren Buffett (pictured front and center) was joined on stage by some of the richest people in the world at a Forbes celebration on Tuesday night

Onstage was (from left) Jeff Koons, Henry Kravis, Philip Anschutz, Yuri Milner, Arthur Blank, Patrice Motsepe, Jacqueline Novogratz, Eli Broad, James Patterson, Steve Case, Martine Rothblatt, Hamdi Ulukaya, Sean 'Diddy' Combs, Buffet, Craig Venter, Ray Dalio, Sandy Weill, Larry Gagosian, Jack Welch, Mohammad Yunus, Steve Wynn and Jerry Jones

James Patterson, from left, Steve Case, Martine Rothblatt, Hamdi Ulukaya, Warren Buffett, Craig Venter, Ray Dalio, Sandy Weill and Jack Welch and others attend the Forbes 100th Anniversary Gala at Pier Sixty on Tuesday

The event on Tuesday at Manhattan's Chelsea Piers was a celebration of the business magazine's 100th anniversary, as well as an annual philanthropy summit

The event on Tuesday at Manhattan's Pier Sixty was a celebration of the business magazine's 100th anniversary, as well as an annual philanthropy summit which had been held earlier in the day.

The gala coincided with the release of a special edition of Forbes honoring '100 of the world's greatest living business minds.'

The list includes some of the biggest names in the business world and philanthropy, including Sheldon Adelson, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Michael Bloomberg, Bono, Michael Dell, Diddy, Giorgio Armani, Barry Diller, Rupert Murdoch, Elon Musk, Paul McCartney, Mark Zuckerberg, Oprah Winfrey, and Richard Branson.

Buffett is on the cover of the special centennial edition.

As part of the entertainment for the night, Buffett joined pop music legend Stevie Wonder for a duet at the star-studded gala.

Steve Forbes and Warren Buffett attend the Forbes Media Centennial Celebration at Pier 60 on Tuesday in New York City

Pop music legend Stevie Wonder (left) and multi-billionaire investor Warren Buffett teamed up for a duet during a star-studded gala in New York City on Tuesday

Wonder and Buffett sang a duet of the classic hit The Glory of Love, a single written by Billy Hill and first recorded by Benny Goodman in 1936

Wonder was the special musical guest at the event on Tuesday - a celebration of Forbes magazine's 100th anniversary

The Berkshire Hathaway CEO and Wonder sang a duet of the classic hit The Glory of Love, a single written by Billy Hill and first recorded by Benny Goodman in 1936.

In his remarks to those attending the gala, Buffett expressed optimism about the future of the United States in an era of global instability.

'Whenever I hear people talk pessimistically about this country, I think they're out of their mind,' the 'Sage of Omaha' said on Tuesday night.

The billionaire has transformed Berkshire since 1965 from a failing textile company into a conglomerate with more than 90 businesses in such sectors as insurance, railroads, energy and retail, and well over $100billion of stocks.

Buffett said he expects the Dow Jones Industrial Average to be 'over 1 million' in 100 years, up from Tuesday's close of 22,370.80.

He said that's not unreasonable, given how the index was roughly 81 a century ago.

In his remarks to those attending the gala, the 'Sage of Omaha' expressed optimism about the future of the United States in an era of global instability

Businessman and art collector Steve Wynn (left) was in attendance as was 'Good Morning America' host Lara Spencer (right)

Buffett said he expects the Dow Jones Industrial Average to be 'over 1 million' in 100 years, up from Tuesday's close of 22,370.80. He is seen on stage at the gala with 24 other philanthropists and influential business people

Artist Jeff Koons (left) was one of the guests at the event on Tuesday evening as were Jack Welch and his wife of 13 years, Suzy Wetlaufer (right)

But he knows he won't be around to see it happen.

'When I hear talking about making it to 100, I get excited,' he said. 'I'm 87.'

Buffett said he recently determined that of the 53,364 people in the United States who were at least 100 years old, the ratio of women to men was nearly 5-to-1.

'We should start thinking about a sex change,' Buffett said, prompting laughter.

Nonetheless, he said long-term investing remains the way to go.

He noted that since Forbes created its first list of the 400 richest Americans in 1982 -- Buffett was worth just $250 million then - some 1,500 different people have been included.

All with one thing in common.

Among those in attendance was Sean 'P Diddy' Combs. The rapper and entrepreneur formerly known as Puff Daddy was named to Forbes' list of 100 most brilliant business minds

Besides hip hop music, Combs has branched out to other industries including fashion and liquor

Diddy couldn't hide his delight in being included in such esteemed company and planted a huge kiss on Steve Forbes' cheek when he was called to the stage

Elizbeth, Moira and Catherine Forbes. Moira is the publisher of ForbesWoman, a multi-media platform serving successful women in business and leadership

Jack Welch (far left) and Muhammad Yunus attended the gala, as did Alexandra and Sean Parker (right)

Dr Mehmet Oz and wife Lisa with Steve Forbes (right)

"You don't see any short sellers," he said, referring to people who bet stock prices will fall.

"It has been 241 years since Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence," he said.

"Being short America has been a loser's game. I predict to you it will continue to be a loser's game."

Also in attendance were actor and philanthropist Matt Damon; Malala Yousafzai, Co-Founder, Malala Fund; Stephen A. Schwarzman, Chairman, Co-Founder & CEO, Blackstone; James Simons, Chairman, Simons Foundation; Patrice Motsepe, Founder, Motsepe Foundation; and Muhammad Yunus, Founder, Grameen Bank.

Damon and Gary White, who co-founded Water.org and WaterEquity, received a Forbes 400 Lifetime Achievement Award for Social Entrepreneurship

Eli Broad, founder of The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, received the Forbes 400 Lifetime Achievement Award for Philanthropy.