Career Timeline of Warren Buffett: Major Achievements and Milestones
How Warren Buffett built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Warren Buffett is a highly successful American investor and philanthropist. He is the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway and is renowned as one of the world's best investors. His net worth is estimated to be around $149.6 billion as of February 2025, making him one of the wealthiest individuals globally.
1945: Pinball Machine Business
In 1945, Warren Buffett, as a high school sophomore, and a friend purchased a used pinball machine and started a business, eventually owning multiple machines across Omaha.
1951: Worked at Buffett-Falk & Co.
From 1951, Warren Buffett began working as an investment salesman at his father's firm, Buffett-Falk & Co.
1951: Invested in GEICO stock
In 1951, Warren Buffett visited GEICO's headquarters and met Lorimer Davidson, leading to his first purchase of GEICO stock, marking a significant investment decision.
1954: Joined Graham-Newman Corp.
In 1954, Buffett started working as a securities analyst at Graham-Newman Corp., furthering his investment career.
1954: Joined Benjamin Graham's Partnership
In 1954, Warren Buffett accepted a job at Benjamin Graham's partnership, marking a pivotal moment in his early career.
1956: Graham Retired and Buffett Returned to Omaha
In 1956, Benjamin Graham retired and closed his partnership; Warren Buffett returned to Omaha and started a series of investment partnerships.
1956: General Partner in Investment Partnerships
In 1956, Warren Buffett became the general partner in several investment partnerships, demonstrating his growing influence in the investment world.
1956: Created Buffett Partnership Ltd.
In 1956, Warren Buffett created Buffett Partnership Ltd., marking a significant step in his investment career.
1957: Operated Three Investment Partnerships
In 1957, Warren Buffett operated three investment partnerships, showcasing his growing entrepreneurial success.
1958: Sanborn Stock Price
In 1958, Sanborn stock sold for only $45 per share, but the company's investment portfolio was worth $65 per share.
1961: Invested in Sanborn Map Company
In 1961, Buffett revealed that 35% of the partnerships' assets were invested in the Sanborn Map Company.
1962: Became a Millionaire
In 1962, Warren Buffett became a millionaire due to the success of his partnerships.
1965: Purchased Berkshire Hathaway Shares Aggressively
In 1965, Buffett's partnerships purchased Berkshire Hathaway shares aggressively, and he took control of the company.
1966: Closed Partnership to New Money
In 1966, Buffett closed his partnership to new money, a decision made before shifting the business into the insurance sector.
1967: Berkshire Paid First and Only Dividend
In 1967, Berkshire Hathaway paid out its first and only dividend of 10 cents.
1969: End of Investment Partnerships
In 1969, Warren Buffett ended his run as general partner of his investment partnerships.
1969: Liquidated the Partnership
In 1969, Warren Buffett liquidated the partnership and transferred their assets to his partners including shares of Berkshire Hathaway.
1970: Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway
In 1970, Buffett assumed the role of chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., a position he held for decades.
1970: Became Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway
In 1970, Buffett became the chairman and majority shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway, transforming it into a diversified holding company.
1973: Acquired Stock in Washington Post Company
In 1973, Berkshire Hathaway began acquiring stock in the Washington Post Company.
1974: SEC Investigation into Wesco Financial Acquisition
In 1974, the SEC opened a formal investigation into Buffett and Berkshire's acquisition of Wesco Financial, due to possible conflict of interest, but no charges were brought.
1977: Purchased Buffalo Evening News
In 1977, Berkshire indirectly purchased the Buffalo Evening News for $32.5 million, leading to antitrust charges.
1977: Statements about stocks, gold, farmland and inflation
In 1977, Buffett commented on stocks, gold, farmland, and inflation.
1978: Charlie Munger Joined Berkshire Hathaway
In 1978, Charlie Munger joined Warren Buffett as vice-chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, beginning their long-time business partnership.
1979: Acquired Stock in ABC
In 1979, Berkshire Hathaway began to acquire stock in ABC.
1982: Buffalo Courier-Express Folded
In 1982, the Buffalo Courier-Express folded, after antitrust charges and financial losses.
March 18, 1985: Capital Cities Purchase of ABC
On March 18, 1985, Capital Cities announced a $3.5 billion purchase of ABC, with Buffett helping to finance the deal in return for a 25% stake.
1985: Sold Last Berkshire Hathaway Mill
In 1985, the last of the mills that had been the core business of Berkshire Hathaway was sold, marking a shift in the company's focus.
1987: Purchased Stake in Salomon Inc.
In 1987, Berkshire Hathaway purchased a 12% stake in Salomon Inc., making Warren Buffett a director.
1987: Quoted during RJR Nabisco Takeover Fight
In 1987, during the RJR Nabisco, Inc., hostile takeover fight, Buffett was quoted as telling John Gutfreund.
1988: Bought Coca-Cola Stock
In 1988, Buffett began buying The Coca-Cola Company stock, eventually purchasing up to 7% of the company for $1.02 billion.
August 1991: Gutfreund Left Salomon Brothers
In August 1991, John Gutfreund left Salomon Brothers after a scandal, and Buffett became chairman of Salomon until the crisis passed.
1994: Comments on Tobacco Investments
At Berkshire Hathaway Inc.'s 1994 annual meeting, Buffett commented on investments in tobacco.
1998: Acquired General Re
In 1998, Buffett acquired General Re (Gen Re) as a subsidiary, a deal that presented underwriting and derivatives challenges.
1998: Address at Harvard
In a 1998 address at Harvard, Buffett was critical of gold as an investment, with his critique being based primarily on its non-productive nature.
November 1999: Warning on Unrealistic Expectations
In his November 1999 Fortune article, Warren Buffett warned investors of unrealistic expectations in the market.
2002: Adviser at Nuclear Threat Initiative
In 2002, Buffett began serving as an advisor at the Nuclear Threat Initiative in Washington, and pledged $50 million.
2002: Entered Forward Contracts
In 2002, Warren Buffett entered into $11 billion worth of forward contracts to deliver U.S. dollars against other currencies.
2002: Entered Foreign Currency Market
In 2002, the trade deficit induced Buffett to enter the foreign currency market for the first time.
2004: Lambasts Stock Option Compensation Bill
At the 2004 annual meeting, Buffett criticized a bill before the United States Congress regarding company-issued stock options compensation, likening it to an attempt to legislate the value of Pi.
2004: Estate to Buffett Foundation
In 2004, the bulk of his wife's estate, valued at $2.6 billion, went to his Buffett Foundation after her death.
2005: Reduced Stake in Currency Market
In 2005, Buffett substantially reduced his stake in the foreign currency market.
April 2006: Gain on Currency Contracts
By April 2006, Buffett's total gain on currency contracts was over $2 billion.
June 2006: Announced Charitable Giving Plan
In June 2006, Buffett announced a plan to give 83% of his fortune to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
June 2006: Announced Gift of Berkshire Holdings
In June 2006, Warren Buffett announced that he would gradually give away 85% of his Berkshire holdings to five foundations, with the largest contribution going to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
June 23, 2006: Pledged to Gates Foundation
On June 23, 2006, Buffett pledged the equivalent of 10 million Berkshire Hathaway Class B shares to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, worth approximately $30.7 billion.
July 2006: Began Giving Away Berkshire Holdings
In July 2006, Buffett began giving away Berkshire holdings to five foundations, starting with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
2006: Auctioned Car for Charity
In 2006, Buffett auctioned his 2001 Lincoln Town Car on eBay to raise money for Girls, Inc.
2006: Annual Salary
In 2006, Warren Buffett's annual salary was approximately $100,000.
2007: Auctioned Luncheon for Glide Foundation
In 2007, Buffett auctioned a luncheon with himself that raised $650,100 for the Glide Foundation.
2007: PacifiCorp Cancels Coal-Fired Power Plants
In 2007, Buffett's PacifiCorp, a subsidiary of his MidAmerican Energy Company, canceled six proposed coal-fired power plants due to pressure from regulators and citizen groups.
2007: Subprime Mortgage Crisis Criticism
In 2007, Warren Buffett faced criticism during the subprime mortgage crisis, part of the Great Recession, for allocating capital too early, resulting in suboptimal deals. He also referred to the downturn in the financial sector that started in 2007 as "poetic justice".
2007: Bet on Index Funds
In 2007, Warren Buffett made a bet that a simple S&P 500 index fund would outperform hedge funds charging high fees, advocating for index funds for those uninterested in managing their own money.
2007: Looking for Successor
In 2007, in a letter to shareholders, Buffett announced that he was looking for a younger successor, or perhaps successors, to run his investment business.
September 23, 2008: Berkshire Hathaway Acquires Goldman Sachs Stock
On September 23, 2008, Berkshire Hathaway acquired 10 percent of perpetual preferred stock of Goldman Sachs, marking a significant investment during the financial crisis.
October 2008: Investment in BYD Company
In October 2008, Buffett invested $230 million for 10% of battery maker BYD Company, which runs a subsidiary of electric automobile manufacturer BYD Auto. This investment reaped over a 500% return in less than one year.
October 2008: Buffett Buys General Electric Preferred Stock
In October 2008, it was reported that Warren Buffett had agreed to buy General Electric (GE) preferred stock with special incentives, including an option to buy three billion shares of GE stock and receiving a 10% dividend.
2008: "Buy American. I am."
In 2008, Warren Buffett penned an opinion piece for the New York Times titled "Buy American. I am." In Q3 2008, Berkshire Hathaway experienced a 77% drop in earnings, and some later deals suffered significant mark-to-market losses.
2008: Total Compensation
In 2008, Warren Buffett's total compensation was $175,000, including a base salary of $100,000.
February 2009: Buffett Sells Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson Shares
In February 2009, Warren Buffett sold some Procter & Gamble Co. and Johnson & Johnson shares from his personal portfolio, raising questions about the timing and wisdom of keeping certain holdings.
June 2009: Berkshire Hathaway Eighteenth Largest Corporation
As of June 2009, Berkshire Hathaway was the eighteenth largest corporation in the world, measured by market capitalization in the Financial Times Global 500.
2009: Divestment from ConocoPhillips
In 2009, Warren Buffett divested his failed investment in ConocoPhillips, citing it to Berkshire investors.
2009: Ranked Second Richest in the U.S.
In 2009, after donating billions to charity, Buffett was ranked as the second richest man in the United States, with a net worth of $37 billion.
June 2010: Defense of Credit-Rating Agencies
In June 2010, Warren Buffett defended the credit-rating agencies for their role in the U.S. financial crisis.
December 9, 2010: Signed Giving Pledge
On December 9, 2010, Buffett, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg signed the "Gates-Buffett Giving Pledge", promising to donate at least half of their wealth to charity.
2010: Founded the Giving Pledge
In 2010, Warren Buffett co-founded the Giving Pledge with Bill Gates, encouraging billionaires to donate at least half of their wealth to philanthropic causes.
March 18, 2011: Goldman Sachs Buyback Approval
On March 18, 2011, Goldman Sachs received Federal Reserve approval to buy back Berkshire's preferred stock in Goldman, a move Buffett was initially reluctant about due to the significant dividend income.
November 2011: Investment in IBM
In November 2011, it was announced that over the previous eight months, Warren Buffett had invested approximately $11 billion in 64 million shares of International Business Machine Corp (IBM) stock, a surprising move given his previous reluctance to invest in technology.
2011: Acquired Omaha World Herald
In 2011, Buffett's company acquired the Omaha World Herald, a newspaper he reads daily.
May 2012: Avoidance of High-Tech Stocks
In May 2012, Buffett explained that he had avoided investing in high-technology companies like Facebook and Google due to their complexity and the difficulty in estimating their future value. He also advised against investing in initial public offerings (IPOs).
May 2012: Acquisition of Media General
In May 2012, Warren Buffett's acquisition of Media General, which included 63 newspapers in the south-eastern U.S., was announced, marking his second news print purchase in one year.
May 2013: Newspaper Acquisitions Explained
At the Berkshire shareholders meeting in May 2013, Warren Buffett explained that he did not expect to "move the needle" at Berkshire with newspaper acquisitions, but he anticipated an annual return of 10 percent.
July 18, 2013: Acquisition of the Press of Atlantic City
On July 18, 2013, it was announced that the Press of Atlantic City would be sold to Warren Buffett's BH Media Group, becoming Berkshire's 30th daily newspaper.
September 2013: Federal Reserve Comparison
In late September 2013, during a presentation at Georgetown University, Warren Buffett compared the U.S. Federal Reserve to a hedge fund and discussed wealth equality.
August 14, 2014: Berkshire Hathaway Share Price Hits $200,000
On August 14, 2014, Berkshire Hathaway's share price reached $200,000 for the first time, capitalizing the company at $328 billion.
2017: Index Fund Outperforms Hedge Funds
By 2017, the S&P 500 index fund had outperformed every hedge fund that bet against Warren Buffett, proving his point about the advantages of low-cost index funds.
January 2018: Comments on Bitcoin
In January 2018, Buffett commented on Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, saying the craze would "not end well" and called it "rat poison squared."
2018: Ranked 3rd in Forbes' List of Billionaires
In 2018, after making almost $3.4 billion in donations, Buffett was ranked 3rd in the Forbes' List of Billionaires.
June 2021: Views on COVID-19 Economic Impact
In June 2021, Buffett stated that the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic had increased economic inequality. He also said that the markets and the economy would likely be unpredictable during the post-pandemic recovery.
November 2022: Donation to Charitable Foundations
In November 2022, Buffett donated $750 million in Berkshire Hathaway shares to four charitable foundations run by his children.
2023: Over $50 Billion Given to Charity
As of 2023, Buffett has given over $50 billion to charitable causes.
