How Much Richer Warren Buffett Has Gotten Over the Last 5 Years
Written by
Brooke Barley
Edited by
Amen Oyiboke
Commitment to Our Readers
GOBankingRates' editorial team is committed to bringing you unbiased reviews and information. We use data-driven methodologies to evaluate financial products and services - our reviews and ratings are not influenced by advertisers. You can read more about our editorial guidelines and our products and services review methodology.
20 Years
Helping You Live Richer
Reviewed
by Experts
Trusted by
Millions of Readers
Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett is worth $148.1 billion, according to Forbes. Though Buffett, known as “The Oracle of Omaha,” has never been destitute, his wealth has changed dramatically in the past five years.
Find out by how much, and what’s led to Buffett’s big net worth increase.
How Much Was Buffett Worth in 2020?
According to a 2020 Forbes article, Buffett ranked No.3 behind Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates with a net worth of $67.5 billion. That means that Buffett has added $82 billion to his name in the past five years. The article discussed how, during 2020, Buffett’s net worth had actually dropped $15 billion between 2019 and 2021. This was due to a lack of travel during 2020, causing Berkshire Hathaway’s airline holdings to drop in value.
How Has Buffett Earned Billions in the Past Five Years?
Currently, Buffett is No. 9 on Forbes’ 400 Richest People in America. Though Bezos at No. 4 has still outpaced him with a net worth of $241 billion, Buffett has passed up Gates, who is No. 14 on the list and has a net worth of $107 billion.
Business Insider reported that some of Buffett’s gains are due to a 13% rise in Berkshire Hathaway’s Class A shares. Berkshire Hathaway has seen some lucrative years recently. In 2024, their cash, Treasury bills and other liquid assets doubled in value to $334 billion. This all helped contribute to Buffett’s bottom line.
Earlier this year, Buffett said he would be stepping down as the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway at the end of 2025. Greg Abel will replace him. According to Fortune, Berkshire Hathaway is worth $1.2 trillion in total.
What Has Buffett Done With His Money?
Buffett is known for his philanthropy. According to Business Insider, Buffett has donated about 57% of his Berkshire shares since 2006. They also reported that had Buffett kept those shares, he would be the richest man in the world, passing up Elon Musk, whose net worth is $320 billion.
According to Forbes, he has promised to donate over 99% of his wealth. That would be at least $148 billion. Up to this point, he’s given away $65 billion.
Need a little extra breathing room in your budget? MoneyLion, a sister company of GOBankingRates, is giving away $2,000 a day through Jan. 24, 2026. Sign up here and see if a cash boost is in your future.
More From GOBankingRates
