OMAHA, Neb. — Warren Buffett, the 94-year-old titan of investing, dropped a bombshell at Berkshire Hathaway’s annual shareholder meeting on May 3, 2025: he’s stepping down as CEO by year’s end. With a net worth pegged at $169 billion, making him the world’s fifth-richest person, the “Oracle of Omaha” leaves behind a sprawling legacy of investments that reshaped American business. As he hands the reins to Greg Abel, Buffett’s portfolio—built over six decades—offers a masterclass in patience, grit, and picking winners.
Buffett’s fortune, rooted in his 15% stake in Berkshire Hathaway, a conglomerate now worth over $1.16 trillion, tells only part of the story. Since snapping up the struggling textile mill in 1965, he transformed it into a juggernaut spanning insurance, railroads, and ice cream. Berkshire’s market cap hit $1.1 trillion in 2025, a testament to Buffett’s knack for turning underdogs into cash machines. His holdings include household names like Coca-Cola, American Express, and Apple, the latter being his biggest stock bet despite recent stumbles in 2025’s choppy markets.
Apple, a cornerstone of Berkshire’s portfolio, has delivered blockbuster returns since Buffett first invested in 2016. But this year, it’s taken a hit, with market volatility sparked by trade tensions and tariffs announced on April 8. Yet Buffett’s wealth climbed $16.4 billion in 2025, defying the downturn. One bright spot? His stake in Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD, which soared as it sold 37,000 units in Europe in the first quarter of 2025, up from 8,500 the year before. The company’s push into Japan and Australia with cheaper models has Wall Street buzzing about its growth.
Buffett’s investment playbook, inspired by his mentor Benjamin Graham, hinges on buying undervalued companies with strong fundamentals and holding them for decades. “Our horizon for such commitments is almost always far longer than a single year,” he said in a 2025 shareholder letter. This long-game strategy shines in Berkshire’s diverse bets: Geico insurance, BNSF Railway, and Dairy Queen, alongside stakes in Kraft Heinz and Occidental Petroleum. His Q4 2024 moves included boosting shares in Constellation Brands and Domino’s Pizza, signaling a continued hunt for growth.
Not every swing was a home run. Buffett’s first big misstep came at 21, when he sank $2,000 into a Sinclair gas station in 1951, only to watch it flounder against a rival Texaco. The loss stung, eating a fifth of his wealth at the time. But it shaped his cautious, research-driven style. Today, Berkshire’s cash pile—nearing $10 billion in a near-miss deal this year—shows Buffett’s discipline, waiting for the right pitch even as markets wobble.
His frugal streak is legendary. Buffett still lives in the Omaha home he bought for $31,500 in 1958, grabs $4 McDonald’s breakfasts, and drives a modest car. “There are things money can’t buy,” he told shareholders in 2025, shrugging off the allure of mansions or private jets. His pledge to keep his fortune tied to Berkshire, even in retirement, underscores his faith in the company he built.
As Abel, 62, prepares to take over, Buffett plans to stay in the game, advising from the sidelines. The transition, announced to a stunned crowd in Omaha, marks the end of an era. Berkshire’s board will finalize the shift after Buffett’s formal recommendation on May 4, 2025. For now, the kid who bought his first stock at 11—three shares of Cities Service in 1941—leaves a portfolio that’s the envy of Wall Street.
Buffett’s net worth, per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, stands at $169 billion as of May 3, 2025. Forbes pegs it at $168.2 billion. Berkshire Hathaway’s stock rose 17.5% in 2025, outpacing the S&P 500’s 4.5% drop. The conglomerate’s assets total over $1 trillion, with major stakes in Apple, Coca-Cola, American Express, and BYD.