Warren Buffett’s net worth: A look at his fortune as he prepares to retire

On May 3, 2025, Warren Buffett, the famed investor, philanthropist, and Chairman/CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, announced that he would be retiring at the end of 2025.

Even though the 95-year-old admitted in a 2023 letter that he was “playing in the extra innings,” the news still came as a surprise, since he made the announcement at the end of Berkshire’s annual shareholders meeting, and only his children, Howard and Susie, knew in advance.

As arguably the world’s most successful investor, Buffett leaves behind an unparalleled legacy—one that began with his very first stock purchase. At just 11 years old, he bought three shares of Cities Service preferred stock at roughly $38 per share—the first example of his long-term, value-based approach to investing.

Over the course of his seven-decade career, Buffett took over a struggling textile mill and turned it into a $1.1 trillion investment conglomerate that owned Geico, Duracell, and Dairy Queen and had major stakes in Apple (AAPL) , Coca Cola (KO) , Bank of America (BAC) , and American Express (AXP) , to name a few. 

Between 1964 and 2024, he increased Berkshire Hathaway’s per-share value by 5,502,284%, according to company documents, averaging 19.9% a year growth — an impressive annual rate compared to an average of just 10.4% a year for the S&P 500.

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In the process, Buffett built an empire that spanned 15 U.S. Presidents, 16 bull markets, and 13 economic recessions—and became one of the world’s wealthiest people.

But perhaps Buffett’s greatest attribute, and a takeaway for all investors, isn’t that he had superior brains or perfect timing; rather, it was his patience. Buffett avoided trying to predict market trends and instead took the long view by identifying quality businesses with strong fundamentals. 

And, he always kept some money in his back pocket, which allowed him to act when the opportunity was right.

So, what’s Buffett’s net worth in 2025 as he prepares to step down from the helm of Berkshire Hathaway?

What is Warren Buffett’s net worth in 2025?

According to Forbes, as of September 2025, Warren Buffett has a net worth of $146.6 billion. This makes him the tenth-richest person on Earth, behind billionaire businessmen Larry Ellison, whose net worth stands at $367.9 billion, Jeff Bezos ($245.3 billion), Mark Zuckerberg ($266.7 billion), and Elon Musk ($477.6 billion).

Business Insider did the math and broke Buffett’s income down even further, estimating that the famed investor makes approximately $37 million per day, which is the equivalent of $1.54 million per hour, or $25,694 per minute.

Warren Buffett’s portfolio

Buffett’s success at Berkshire Hathaway comes from investing in a small number of quality stocks, typically dividend payers, that provide a regular stream of income in addition to capital appreciation.

Berkshire Hathaway’s biggest holdings

According to Berkshire’s latest 13F filing with the SEC, the company’s top 5 holdings, as of May 2025, included:

• Apple (AAPL)
• American Express (AXP)
• Coca-Cola (KO)
• Bank of America (BAC)
• Chevron (CVX)

But unlike his company, Buffett isn’t trying to stay rich. In his final shareholder address, he urged investors to care about more things than money, saying, “Be kind and the world is better off. I’m not sure the world will be better off if I am richer.”

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Putting his words into practice, in 2010, Buffett, along with his friends Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates, launched the Giving Pledge, vowing to donate 99% of their fortune to charity within their lifetimes.

Warren Buffett’s charities

The majority of Buffett’s charitable donations have been to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which focuses on global health and educational initiatives. According to the Gates Foundation, Buffett has donated $43.3 billion through gifts of Berkshire Hathaway stock between 2006 and 2024.

Buffett also supports nonprofits that focus on health and educational initiatives, including the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, the Sherwood Foundation, the NoVo Foundation, and the Howard G. Buffett Foundation.

Reuters reports that Buffett has given away more than $58 billion, or 37% of his total wealth. That leaves him with a whopping $96.73 billion yet to give away.

You could say he’ll have an active retirement.

Warren Buffett’s early life and investing career

On August 30, 1930, Warren Edward Buffett was born in Omaha, Nebraska. His father, Howard Buffett, was a four-term U.S. Congressman as well as a businessman, and his mother, Leila Stahl Buffett, was a homemaker who managed the family’s investments. She passed her frugality down to her children, Warren, Roberta, and Doris, often clipping coupons and shopping at discount stores. She also volunteered her time and donated to charitable causes. 

(Her famously modest son capped his own salary at just $100,000 in 1980 and has been living in the first house he bought since 1958.)

When Howard was elected to the United States Congress, young Buffett moved with his family to Washington, D.C. In 1947, he graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School and stated in his yearbook: “likes math; a future stockbroker.”

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Buffett’s entrepreneurism was apparent early on: He went door-to-door selling Coca-Cola, delivered newspapers, and sold golf balls, among other ventures. At age 13, he filed his first income tax return, taking a $35 deduction for using his bicycle on his paper route.

When he was in high school, Buffett and a friend paid $25 to buy a pinball machine, which they set up in a local barber shop. A few months later, they had multiple machines across Omaha and later sold the business for $1,200.

When Buffett was 14, he used $1,200 of his savings to invest in a 40-acre working farm. Through a profit-sharing agreement with the farmer, by the time he graduated from college in 1951, Buffett had $9,800 in savings—the equivalent of $123,717 in 2025 dollars.

Warren Buffett and Benjamin Graham

Buffett initially wanted to skip college and become a full-time entrepreneur, but his father insisted he enroll at a university. He studied at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania between 1947 and 1949 before transferring to the University of Nebraska, where he graduated with a BS in Business Administration. 

He later went on to study with renowned value investor Benjamin Graham at Columbia University and received his MS in Economics from the school in 1951.

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Buffett credited Graham for teaching him the fundamental principles of value investing, and after graduation, he worked for two years as a security analyst at Graham’s investment firm, the Graham-Newman Corporation. Buffett even named his son, Howard Graham Buffett, after his mentor.

In 1956, Buffett returned to his hometown, earning his nickname “The Oracle of Omaha.”

How did Warren Buffett get rich?

Between 1957 and 1962, Buffett made a fortune off the success of several investment partnerships. His research focused heavily on weighing a stock’s current price against its intrinsic value and then buying undervalued or “bargain” stocks that had strong fundamentals and the potential for future growth. This is a core tenet of value investing.

For example, Buffett had discovered that one of his investments, the Sanborn Map Company, was being undervalued by as much as $20 per share. So, he purchased 23% of the company’s outstanding shares and took a seat on its board of directors. Eventually he had control of 44% of its shares; in order to avoid a proxy battle, the board offered to repurchase company shares at fair value—and Buffett earned a 50% return on his investment in just two years’ time.

By 1962, at age 32, Buffett was officially a millionaire, according to Nasdaq, and his partnerships were valued at over $7 million. Buffett’s next move was to merge his various partnerships into one entity, Buffett Partnership, Ltd.

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When did Warren Buffett buy Berkshire Hathaway?

In 1965, Buffett took control of Berkshire Hathaway, an ailing New England textile manufacturer. While the textile business never made him money (he eventually shut it down in 1985), Buffett used Berkshire as the base for his operations, transforming the business into a diversified holding company for his strategic investments. Some of his biggest successes include:

• Insurance companies, such as Geico and General Reinsurance: Berkshire profited from insurance “float,” or the money that is held by insurance companies that has not yet been paid out to policy claims. At the end of Q1 2025, this float totaled $173 billion.
• Value buys, like American Express, Coca-Cola, and Bank of America: Stocks that, for one reason or another, have fallen out of favor with the market. These shares are worth a combined total of $100 billion more than what Buffett originally paid for them, not even including dividends.
• Apple Inc.: While Buffett avoided investing in tech stocks during the Dot-Com Bubble of the late 1990s and early 2000s, one of his most successful investments has been a technology company: Apple. At Berkshire’s most recent shareholder meeting, he even joked that Apple CEO Tim Cook made more money for Berkshire investors than he has himself. Starting in 2016, Buffett bought more than $31 billion worth of AAPL, which grew to more than $174 billion before he began selling off shares in late 2023.
• See’s Candy: Buffett’s best friend and right-hand man, Berkshire Hathaway Vice President Charlie Munger, persuaded him to purchase the California-based confectioner for $25 million in 1972—even though it was trading at six times its earnings and three times its book value. Buffett considered this a turning point in his career, since he no longer had to go shopping in the bargain bin, and it would lead to later investments in companies like Coca-Cola and Apple. As Yahoo! Finance reports, See’s Candy has provided Berkshire with income of over $2 billion.

By 1985, Buffett had become a billionaire. He was 55 years old.

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What are Warren Buffett’s rules for investing?

No doubt, when Buffett speaks, his folksy charm and sage lessons gleaned from decades of success make investors sit up and listen.

He has provided loads of wisdom in his annual letters to Berkshire shareholders—in 1983, he cheekily provided just two rules to follow:

In a 1986 letter to shareholders, he introduced the concept of fear and greed as “contagious diseases” that impair investment decisions. He emphasized the importance of contrarian thinking, encouraging investors to “Be greedy when others are fearful and be fearful when others are greedy.”

In his 2013 letter, he outlined what has become known as the “90/10 Rule:” which is to allocate 90% of an investor’s portfolio to a low-cost S&P 500 index fund and 10% to short-term government bonds.

His core philosophy emphasizes investing in companies you understand. Buffett buys stakes in companies he personally enjoys, such as Dairy Queen, McDonald’s, and Coke.

In addition, he encourages investors to always stay informed, only buy when the market price is below a company’s intrinsic value (known as the “margin of safety”), keep cash on hand for unexpected expenses and opportunities, and avoid making decisions based on speculation.

Warren Buffett’s personal life

Buffett wooed his first wife, Susan Thompson, by learning how to play the ukulele. They married in 1952 and shared three children: Susan Alice (b. 1953), Howard Graham (b. 1954), and Peter Andrew (b. 1958). Buffett and Susan separated in 1977, and she moved to San Francisco; however, they remained married until her death from a stroke in 2004.

On August 30, 2006, Buffett’s 70th birthday, the famed investor married Astrid Menks, his longtime companion. She was actually introduced to Buffett by his then-wife, Susan, when she embarked on her singing career in 1977. 

The three shared an unusual relationship, signing their names together on holiday cards to friends and family. Astrid had even moved into Buffett’s home when he and Susan separated.  

Warren Buffett’s real estate portfolio

It’s a well-known fact that Buffett has lived in the same house since 1958: a 6,570-square-foot, five-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom abode located on a corner lot. 

Realtor.com estimates its value has increased to $1.44 million in 2025, but Buffett’s not going anywhere anytime soon, telling the BBC, “I’d move if I thought I’d be happier someplace else. I couldn’t imagine having a better house.”

In addition to his “forever home,” Architectural Digest reports that Buffett invested in a Laguna Beach, Calif., vacation home in 1971, paying $150,000 for a six-bedroom, seven-bathroom property in a gated community that boasted ocean views and had a “museum quality” feel. He later added an adjoining property where guests could stay.

But Buffett admitted that he only bought his SoCal home because his then-wife, Susan, liked it, so after she passed away in 2004, he sold it for $7.9 million in 2018.

And what became of his farm? Buffett has only added to his parcels of farmland, investing through the years in research farms in South Africa and Arizona. In 1986, he paid $280,000 for 500 additional acres of arable Nebraska soil, telling Berkshire shareholders in an annual letter that he “calculated the normalized return from the farm to then be about 10%. I also thought it was likely that productivity would improve over time and that crop prices would move higher as well. Both expectations proved out.”

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