Warren Buffett and Zhu Ye pose for a photo at the Smith & Wollensky steakhouse in Manhattan, Sep 8, 2015. [Photo/CFP]

For Warren Buffett, time is money. So Zhu Ye, chairman of Beijing-based Dalian Zeus Entertainment Co Ltd, put his money where his mouth is to join Warren Buffett for his time and lunch costing him a total of $2.35 million.

Zhu Ye and his team's lunch with billionaire investor Warren Buffett took place on Sept 8 at the Smith & Wollensky steakhouse in Manhattan.

A lunch with Warren Buffet usually results in Buffet picking up the check, but this time it was Zhu who paid $2,345,678 at a charity auction in June for the opportunity to have private lunch with Warren Buffett.

The three-hour lunch allowed Zhu and Buffett to talk about the American billionaire's investment experiences. Warren Buffett was pretty optimistic about China's future.

Zhu, chairman of a Chinese company that develops online games, said during an interview with Fox News that his lunch was worth every penny of the $2.35 million, adding that it's a great opportunity to share lunch with a man he admires.

According to Forbes magazine, Warren Buffett is the fourth richest man in the world with a net worth of $69.2 billion.