In 2015, Berkshire closed its largest deal to date when it shelled out $37 billion for Precision Castparts. Between 2016 and 2018, Berkshire spent about $36 billion to build a roughly 5% stake in Apple, which will more than quadruple in value to above $170 billion by 2023, making it easily Berkshire’s number one holding and one of the most lucrative bets in its history. Berkshire has cut the position by about 75% past three years.
The COVID-19 pandemic prompted Buffett to cash in on his interests in the ‘Big Four’ US airlines. But he has since made several big bets, including buying Dominion Energy’s natural gas assets for $10 billion, purchasing stakes in five of Japan’s largest trading companies and acquiring Alleghany for $12 billion, adding companies like Squishmallows maker Jazwares to Berkshire’s stable.
Berkshire also paid more than $11 billion over seven years to acquire Pilot Flying J, a truck stop chain that had once been one of the nation’s largest private companies.
Buffett lost his right-hand man and one of his best friends when Munger died in November 2023, a few weeks before his 100th birthday and still in office.
Berkshire’s market capitalization surpassed $1 trillion at the end of 2024, making it one of the most valuable companies in the world.
During Buffett’s tenure as CEO, Berkshire’s shares rose 6,100,000%, or nearly 20%, per year from 1964 to 2025, far exceeding the benchmark S&P 500’s annual return of about 46,000%, or 10.5%, including dividends over the same period.
Buffett prepared his shareholders for his departure, outlined his estate plan and named Greg Abel, the head of Berkshire’s non-insurance business, as his successor in 2021.
But he still does stunned the business world in May 2025 when he announced he would step down as CEO at the end of this year.
