At the time of extreme market volatility in 2025, Warren Buffett is the lone person among the world's top 15 richest individuals to see his net worth rise. As per the latest version of the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, his wealth increased by $12.7 billion this year, reaching $155 billion and making him the world's sixth richest person.
This surge is in stark contrast to the financial paths of other leading billionaires. Elon Musk's wealth has fallen by $130 billion to $302 billion, and that of Jeff Bezos by $45.2 billion to $193 billion. Meta's Mark Zuckerberg and LVMH's Bernard Arnault also took knocks of $28.1 billion and $18.6 billion, respectively.
The market decline has mainly been driven by the imposition of large-scale tariff hikes by President Donald Trump, resulting in a loss of close to $8 trillion in market value on Wall Street. What is striking is that almost $6 trillion was erased in a matter of two trading days.
In spite of these trying circumstances, Berkshire Hathaway, led by Buffett, has taken a very consistent long-term strategy. It's diminished stakes in American tech stocks, like Apple and Bank of America, and added stakes in Japanese trading houses like Mitsui, Mitsubishi, Sumitomo, Itochu, and Marubeni. All this has led to Berkshire Hathaway's market value crossing $1.14 trillion, ahead of that of Tesla, and greatly enhancing the wealth of Buffett himself.
The application of strict tariffs policies derailed global supply links and suppressed investor confidence. JP Morgan reduced the forecast of U.S. GDP in 2025 to -0.3% from 1.3% previously on predictions of a two-quarter recession which is expected to begin in the third quarter. In today's uncertain economy, Buffett's profits reflect the significance of strategic investment strategies and the use of a long-term vision in managing market volatility.
