Warren Buffett Has Gotten Significantly Richer: Here's the $82 Billion Story

Over the past five years, Warren Buffett’s wealth trajectory tells a remarkable story of accumulated gains and strategic positioning. The “Oracle of Omaha” has seen his net worth swell to $148.1 billion as of recent Forbes rankings, a dramatic jump that reflects not just personal investment acumen but also the broader performance of his flagship company, Berkshire Hathaway.

The Wealth Expansion: From $67.5B to $148.1B

Just five years ago in 2020, Buffett’s fortune stood at $67.5 billion, placing him third globally behind Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates. The intervening years have been transformative. By adding approximately $82 billion to his net worth, Buffett has fundamentally altered his position in the global wealth hierarchy—a surge driven by compound growth in his holdings and strategic capital deployment.

Interestingly, 2020 itself presented a temporary headwind. That year saw Buffett’s wealth decline by $15 billion between 2019 and 2021, primarily due to pandemic-related disruptions affecting Berkshire Hathaway’s airline portfolio. However, this dip proved merely a pause in a longer upward trajectory.

How Berkshire Hathaway Fueled the Rise

The engine behind Buffett’s accumulated fortune has been Berkshire Hathaway itself. Recent performance metrics underscore this reality. Class A shares of the company climbed 13%, while the company’s liquid holdings—cash, Treasury bills, and comparable assets—doubled to reach $334 billion in 2024. With Berkshire Hathaway valued at $1.2 trillion in total, the ripple effect on Buffett’s personal wealth has been substantial.

Currently ranked No. 9 on Forbes’ list of America’s richest individuals, Buffett has surpassed Bill Gates (No. 14, $107 billion net worth), though Jeff Bezos remains ahead at No. 4 with $241 billion. The rankings themselves demonstrate how Buffett’s wealth has consolidated and grown relative to other billionaires.

Leadership Transition and Future Outlook

A significant development came earlier this year when Buffett announced plans to step down as Berkshire Hathaway’s CEO by the end of 2025, with Greg Abel assuming control. This transition marks a pivotal moment for the company and its aging founder—a shift that may influence how the organization’s substantial cash reserves are deployed going forward.

The Philanthropic Dimension

What distinguishes Buffett’s wealth accumulation from many peers is his approach to distribution. Since 2006, he has donated roughly 57% of his Berkshire shares to charitable causes, demonstrating a philosophy that wealth concentration isn’t his end goal. He’s committed to giving away over 99% of his fortune—potentially $148 billion or more—with roughly $65 billion already directed to philanthropy. Had he retained those donated shares, analysis suggests he would be the world’s wealthiest individual, potentially exceeding Elon Musk’s $320 billion valuation.

The arc of Buffett’s wealth over five years illustrates both the power of compounding returns within a well-managed conglomerate and the choices an investor makes about capital accumulation versus societal contribution.