Warren Buffett sits among some of the wealthiest individuals in the world alive today. And his entire fortune came from prudent investment decisions in the stock market. But what is Warren Buffett’s net worth today? How did he start his investing journey? And what does he plan to do with all his money?
Who is Warren Buffett, and how did he get started?
Warren Buffett was born in 1930 in Omaha in the United States. He was the son of a Republican congressman, which put him on a path towards a life of business, which began to emerge in his teens after he had set up several small businesses.
His first investment was in Cities Service stock, where he bought three shares for around $38 per share. While the short-term performance proved unfavourable, with the stock falling to a $27 price tag, Buffett held on and eventually enjoyed a rebound to $40, where he then sold. Looking back, Buffett realised the decision to sell was a critical error, as Cities Service eventually went on to reach $200.
This instilled the mindset of long-term investing into Buffett’s investing philosophy, which he continues to use to this day. And that is how he eventually went on to build a massive multi-billion dollar fortune.
What is Warren Buffett’s net worth?
Most of Warren Buffett’s wealth is currently invested, with 99% of it in shares of his investment firm Berkshire Hathaway. As such, the billionaire’s net worth is constantly changing. However, with Berkshire Hathaway recently surpassing the $1trn market cap threshold, the latest estimate for Buffett’s generational fortune currently sits at $149.7bn as of November 2024.
Interestingly, the vast majority of Buffett’s wealth was actually created after he turned 50 years old
| Age | Warren Buffett Net Worth |
| 30 | $1m |
| 33 | $2.4m |
| 35 | $7m |
| 37 | $10m |
| 39 | $25m |
| 43 | $34m |
| 44 | $19m |
| 47 | $67m |
| 52 | $376m |
| 53 | $620m |
| 56 | $1.4bn |
| 58 | $2.3bn |
| 59 | $3.8bn |
| 66 | $17bn |
| 72 | $36bn |
| 83 | $58.5bn |
| 92 | $109bn |
| 94 | $150bn |
How does Warren Buffett invest his money?
While most of Buffett’s wealth is tied up in Berkshire Hathaway, the Oracle of Omaha continues to be in charge at his firm. As such, he still has the final say in deciding where to deploy the company’s capital. So, what sorts of stocks does Buffett invest in for the long run?
In the early days of his investing career, Buffett was solely focused on finding companies, regardless of quality, for a dirt-cheap price. Even in cases when a business goes bankrupt, if he could snap up shares at a price lower than the firm’s liquidation value, he’d buy.
This was based on the investing principles he’d learned under Ben Graham, who was one of his professors at school. But it wasn’t until he met the late Charlie Munger that Buffett’s investing style started to shift.
Today, Buffett seeks to invest in exclusively high-quality companies that trade at fair prices. While value investing still remains a core part of his strategy, Buffett is now far more comfortable paying a premium for a stock that has the quality and long-term capabilities to back it up. As such, the concept of a competitive moat became the centrepiece of Buffett’s strategy.
Buffett is constantly looking for businesses that have a sustainable long-term competitive edge over its rivals.
This can come in various forms, such as a strong, reputable brand or a unique operating model that makes a firm more profitable. Additionally, an edge could emerge from creating sticky relationships with customers, which cultivates pricing power. Or perhaps a firm is benefiting from barriers to entry, such as regulation to prevent disruption from startups.
How did Warren Buffett become a billionaire?
By focusing on quality at a fair price and seeking competitive advantages, Buffett’s portfolio contains some of the biggest and best companies in the world. And in many cases, he bought shares long before their position as industry leaders was certain.
This forward-thinking selective approach has since resulted in the Berkshire Hathaway portfolio generating an average return of 4,384,748% since 1965. On an annualised basis, that equates to 19.8% per year. And in turns of money, £1,000 invested in Berkshire Hathaway in 1965 would now be worth £43.8m.
What does Warren Buffett plan to do with all his money?
With a net fortune of $150bn, Buffett has built generational wealth. But having just celebrated his 94th birthday, there’s been growing interest in knowing what Buffett plans to do with all his wealth when he dies.
As of 2024, Buffett plans to donate 99% of his wealth to a charitable trust overseen by his three children.