The 93-year-old investing legend announced Friday that he’s donating nearly 12.4 million shares of Berkshire Hathaway Class B stock—worth about $6 billion—to five foundations he has supported for years. With this latest gift, Buffett’s total donations to those organizations since 2006 have reached an astonishing $60 billion, based on the stock’s value at the time of each donation.
The shares are set to be delivered on Monday.
Who Gets What
The biggest slice of the donation is headed to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust, which will receive 9.4 million shares. The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, named after Buffett’s late wife, will get 943,384 shares. The remaining shares—660,366 each—will be split among the Sherwood Foundation, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, and the NoVo Foundation, all of which are associated with Buffett’s children.
A Life Committed to Giving
Buffett has long pledged to give away the vast majority of his wealth, and this move reinforces that commitment. In a statement, he reiterated that roughly 99.5% of his estate is earmarked for philanthropy, as outlined in his will.
“Nothing extraordinary has occurred at Berkshire,” Buffett wrote. “A very long runway, simple and generally sound decisions, the American tailwind and compounding effects produced my current wealth.”
Buffett made headlines last year when he announced that, after his death, donations to the Gates Foundation will stop, leaving his three children in charge of distributing the rest of his estate through their respective foundations.
Berkshire’s Stock Keeps Climbing
Berkshire Hathaway’s Class B shares, which are more affordable and widely held than the famously expensive Class A stock, closed Friday at $485.68. The company’s stock has gained 19.1% over the past year, outperforming the broader U.S. stock market’s 14.1% return (including dividends).
Buffett’s reputation as a value investor—buying strong companies at fair prices and avoiding hype-driven trends—has been central to both his success and the enduring growth of Berkshire Hathaway. Today, his fortune is estimated at $145 billion, nearly all of it tied up in the company he built.
Source: AP News – Warren Buffett announces $6 billion in donations to five foundations
