Warren Buffett, the nonagenarian CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, has once again made headlines with his record-breaking philanthropic endeavors. On Friday, June 27, 2025, Buffett donated approximately $6 billion worth of Berkshire Hathaway stock to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and four family charities. This marks his largest annual donation since he began giving away his fortune nearly two decades ago in 2006.
Buffett's recent donation comprised approximately 12.36 million Berkshire Class B shares. The distribution included 9.43 million shares to the Gates Foundation, 943,384 shares to the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, and 660,366 shares to each of the charities led by his children: the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, the Sherwood Foundation, and the NoVo Foundation. This latest act of generosity has boosted Buffett's total charitable giving to well over $60 billion.
Prior to this donation, Forbes magazine ranked Buffett as the world's fifth-richest person, with a net worth of $152 billion. However, with this latest contribution, he is expected to move to sixth place in the rankings. Despite giving away a considerable portion of his wealth, Buffett retains a significant stake in Berkshire Hathaway, owning 13.8% of the company's stock. He has stated that he has no intention of selling any of his Berkshire shares.
Buffett, who is 94 years old, has been gradually donating his fortune since 2006. In a further commitment to philanthropy, he modified his will last year to allocate 99.5% of his remaining fortune to a charitable trust that his children will oversee. His children, Susie, Howard, and Peter, will have approximately ten years to distribute the funds, and all decisions regarding allocation must be unanimous.
Berkshire Hathaway, under Buffett's leadership since 1965, has grown into a $1.05 trillion conglomerate with nearly 200 businesses, including Geico car insurance and the BNSF railroad, as well as holdings in dozens of stocks like Apple and American Express.
Buffett's dedication to philanthropy is further highlighted by his involvement in the Giving Pledge, an initiative he started with Bill and Melinda Gates, encouraging wealthy individuals to commit at least 50% of their wealth to charitable causes. Buffett has pledged to give away more than 99% of his wealth to philanthropy, either during his lifetime or at death. He aims to distribute around 4% of his retained shares annually and wants the funds to be used for current needs rather than endowments.
