Warren Buffett is the American chairman of Berkshire Hathaway and the most celebrated investor of the modern era — the ‘Oracle of Omaha’ who compounded a small textile company into a trillion-dollar conglomerate over six decades. At the end of 2025 he stepped down as chief executive, handing the job to Greg Abel, while remaining chairman and one of the world’s richest people.
| Full Name | Warren Edward Buffett |
| Born | 30 August 1930, Omaha, Nebraska, USA |
| Age | 96 (as of 2026) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Investor; chairman of Berkshire Hathaway |
| Known For | Berkshire Hathaway, value investing, the Giving Pledge |
| Net Worth (est.) | About $154 billion (Forbes est., 2025) |
Early Life: First Shares at Eleven
Buffett was born in Omaha during the Great Depression, the son of Howard Buffett, a stockbroker who later served four terms in Congress, and Leila Stahl Buffett. Business obsessed him from childhood: he delivered newspapers, sold chewing gum, Coca-Cola and pinball-machine placements door to door, filed his first tax return at 13 — and at 11 bought his first shares, three of Cities Service Preferred, for himself and his sister Doris. He graduated from the University of Nebraska at 19, was rejected by Harvard Business School, and instead took a master’s at Columbia Business School in 1951 specifically to study under Benjamin Graham, the father of value investing.
From Buffett Partnership to Berkshire Hathaway
After working for Graham’s firm in New York, Buffett returned to Omaha in 1956 and ran investment partnerships that compounded at roughly 29.5 per cent a year for thirteen years. In 1965 he took control of Berkshire Hathaway, a struggling New England textile mill, and — with Charlie Munger, who became his partner and Berkshire’s vice-chairman — rebuilt it as the holding vehicle for everything that followed. Insurance companies, starting with National Indemnity in 1967, supplied the ‘float’ that funded acquisitions: See’s Candies in 1972, full control of GEICO in 1996, the BNSF railway in 2009 in Berkshire’s largest-ever deal, and huge listed stakes in Coca-Cola, American Express, Bank of America and, from 2016, Apple.
The Oracle of Omaha and the Handover
Buffett’s annual shareholder letters and Berkshire’s Omaha annual meeting — nicknamed the ‘Woodstock for capitalists’ — made him a folk hero of long-term, buy-and-hold investing. Forbes ranked him the world’s richest person in 2008, and he has been a fixture of its top five for decades. In May 2025 he announced he would step down as CEO at the end of that year, designating Greg Abel, the head of Berkshire’s non-insurance businesses, as his successor; Munger had died in November 2023, just before his 100th birthday. Buffett’s son Howard is expected to serve as non-executive chairman after his father’s death, guarding the culture rather than picking stocks.
Warren Buffett Net Worth — and the Money He Gives Away
Forbes estimated Buffett’s net worth at about $154 billion in 2025, held almost entirely in Berkshire Hathaway Class A shares — the same Omaha-house investor famously still lives in the home he bought in 1958 for $31,500. The figure carries a giant asterisk: since 2006 Buffett has given away Berkshire stock every year, tens of billions of dollars in total to the Gates Foundation and four family foundations, and in 2010 he co-founded the Giving Pledge, promising more than 99 per cent of his fortune to philanthropy. Without the donations, Forbes notes, he would rival or exceed the very top of the rich list.
Personal Life and Family
Buffett married Susan Thompson in 1952; they had three children — Susie, Howard and Peter. In 1977 Susan moved to San Francisco to pursue a singing career; the couple remained close and legally married until her death in 2004, an unconventional arrangement both described warmly. In 2006 Buffett married Astrid Menks, a longtime companion introduced by Susan. His children run charitable foundations rather than competing for the Berkshire throne, and Howard is slated to become non-executive chairman. Buffett’s tastes are deliberately plain: bridge games, ukulele, and a McDonald’s breakfast that, he jokes, tracks the market.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Warren Buffett?
He was born on 30 August 1930, making him 96 years old in 2026.
What is Warren Buffett’s net worth?
Forbes estimated about $154 billion in 2025, almost entirely in Berkshire Hathaway shares — despite his having given away tens of billions since 2006.
Who succeeded Warren Buffett as Berkshire Hathaway CEO?
Greg Abel, long head of Berkshire’s non-insurance operations, took over as chief executive at the start of 2026, with Buffett remaining chairman.
How much of his fortune will Warren Buffett give away?
More than 99 per cent; he co-founded the Giving Pledge in 2010 and donates Berkshire stock annually to the Gates Foundation and family foundations.
Related Biographies
Larry Ellison and Bernard Arnault — more in our Billionaires & Rich Lists collection.
Net worth and salary figures are estimates based on publicly available sources and may change over time.
