Billionaire investor Warren Buffett announced his plans to step down as the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway by the end of this year, a surprise move that comes after he previously stated he did not plan to retire. The 94-year-old mogul has taken control of the conglomerate since its textile manufacturer days in 1965 and transformed it into a multibillion-dollar company.
Under Buffett’s leadership, Berkshire Hathaway made several significant investments, including insurance float that provided capital for many of its business ventures. One notable investment was Apple, where he bought over $31 billion worth of shares after understanding the iPhone maker as a consumer products company with extremely loyal customers. The value of his investment grew to over $174 billion before Buffett started selling.
Other successful investments include National Indemnity and National Fire & Marine, Geico, General Reinsurance, and several other insurers, which have collectively generated hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue. Berkshire also made a significant bet on the Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD, investing $232 million in 2008, which has since grown to over $9 billion.
However, not all of Buffett’s investments have been successful. He has admitted to making mistakes, such as buying Dexter Shoe Co. for $433 million, which turned out to be a costly mistake. Additionally, he missed opportunities to invest in companies like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft early on.
Despite his success, Buffett has also acknowledged that some of his worst investments were selling banks too soon. He sold off his shares in Wells Fargo and JP Morgan at prices less than $100 before they doubled in value.
Buffett’s departure as CEO marks the end of an era for Berkshire Hathaway, but it is likely that his successor will continue to build on his legacy and maintain the company’s success.
Source: https://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2025-05-03/warren-buffetts-best-and-worst-investments-in-his-60-years-as-berkshire-hathaway-ceo