Warren Buffett: 'If a lady says no, she means maybe'

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett made an analogy about business on Monday that was not great.

In an interview about Kraft Heinz's proposed — and rejected — acquisition of the consumer goods company Unilever, Buffett turned to a misogynist tale as old as time.

"It reminds me of that old story about the difference between a diplomat and a lady. I don't know whether you've ever heard that or not," the Berkshire Hathaway executive asked CNBC's Becky Quick. Business Insider spotted the problematic comment.

"Well, if a diplomat says yes, he means maybe. If he says maybe, he means no. And if he says no, he's no diplomat," Buffett continued. "And if a lady says no, she means maybe. And if she says maybe, she means yes. And if she says yes, she's no lady. So he [Kraft Heinz chairman Alex Behring] probably got a maybe [from Unilever] and didn't know whether it was coming from a diplomat or a lady, essentially."

There are a lot of things wrong with that analogy. First, what about a lady diplomat?

Second, if a woman says no, she means no. Buffett's line of thinking is one step removed from those "no means yes and yes means anal" fraternity chants.

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As billionaires go, Buffett has been a pretty progressive one. He is a committed Democrat and just this weekend seemed to subtly criticize President Donald Trump in a letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders.

Buffett has also advocated for women-owned businesses and women executives at his own company. A recent HBO documentary followed how Buffett became one of the most successful investors in history. His company backs Kraft Heinz, which offered $143 billion for Unilever in early February.

But even with the best of intentions, it seems the 86-year-old billionaire has internalized — and now spread — some harmful messaging about women and consent along the way.

"Old stories" – check them for signs of rape culture before repeating.