Warren Buffett's net worth rose by $21 billion

In 2025, Warren Buffett, known as the "Oracle of Omaha," saw his net worth increase by $21 billion. This growth came despite a troubled global equity market. Many investors faced losses due to geopolitical issues, recession fears, and tariff threats from Donald Trump. Buffett's wealth rose significantly thanks to a 16% increase in the stock price of his company, Berkshire Hathaway. He recorded the largest gain among the top 500 billionaires, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. While most billionaires lost wealth this year, Buffett was one of the few in the top 15 whose fortunes increased. Other billionaires like Bernard Arnault and Bill Gates also saw slight gains, but Buffett's increase was the most notable. Berkshire Hathaway's stock performance stood in stark contrast to the Nasdaq, which fell by 8% during the same period. The company's strong fourth-quarter profit was driven by better results in its insurance division. Berkshire Hathaway now has $325 billion in cash, following Buffett's large sell-off of Apple and Bank of America shares last year. This cash reserve is greater than the combined reserves of major tech companies like Apple and Microsoft. Some analysts believe Buffett anticipated the market downturn and made strategic moves accordingly. Despite the large cash holdings, Buffett prefers investing in stocks instead of keeping cash. He promised shareholders that Berkshire will continue to invest most of its money in American companies, many of which have substantial international operations.