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, the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, is a highly successful American investor and philanthropist. Renowned for his investment acumen, he is one of the world's most well-known investors. With an estimated net worth of $154.4 billion as of April 5, 2025, Buffett ranks among the wealthiest individuals globally.

Sections (7)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals Legacy & Impact

1945: Pinball Machine Business

In 1945, Warren Buffett and a friend purchased a used pinball machine and placed it in a local barber shop, later expanding to several machines in different locations before selling the business for $1,200.

1951: Worked at Buffett-Falk & Co.

From 1951, Warren Buffett worked as an investment salesman at his father's firm, Buffett-Falk & Co.

1951: First Purchase of GEICO Stock

In 1951, Warren Buffett discovered that Benjamin Graham was on the board of GEICO insurance, met Lorimer Davidson, GEICO's vice president, and made his first purchase of GEICO stock.

1954: Joined Graham-Newman Corp.

From 1954, Warren Buffett worked as a securities analyst at Graham-Newman Corp.

1954: Accepted Job at Benjamin Graham's Partnership

In 1954, Warren Buffett accepted a job at Benjamin Graham's partnership with a starting salary of $12,000 a year.

1956: Became General Partner in Investment Partnerships

From 1956, Warren Buffett worked as the general partner at several investment partnerships.

1956: Graham Retired, Buffett Returned to Omaha

In 1956, Benjamin Graham retired and closed his partnership, leading Warren Buffett to return to Omaha and start a series of investment partnerships.

1956: Created Buffett Partnership Ltd.

In 1956, Warren Buffett created Buffett Partnership Ltd.

1957: Operated Three Investment Partnerships

In 1957, Warren Buffett operated three investment partnerships.

1958: Sanborn Stock Sold

In 1958, Sanborn stock sold for only $45 per share, but the company's investment portfolio was worth $65 per share.

1961: Investment in Sanborn Map Company

In 1961, Warren Buffett revealed that 35% of the partnership's assets were invested in the Sanborn Map Company.

1962: Became a Millionaire

In 1962, Warren Buffett became a millionaire with the success of his partnerships.

1965: Took Control of Berkshire Hathaway

In 1965, Warren Buffett's partnerships began aggressively purchasing shares of Berkshire Hathaway, and he took control of the company at a board meeting.

1966: Closed Partnership to New Money

In 1966, Warren Buffett closed the partnership to new money.

1967: Berkshire Paid First Dividend

In 1967, Berkshire Hathaway paid out its first and only dividend of 10 cents.

1969: Liquidated Partnership

In 1969, Warren Buffett liquidated the partnership and transferred their assets to his partners, including shares of Berkshire Hathaway.

1969: General Partner in Investment Partnerships

Until 1969, Warren Buffett worked as the general partner at several investment partnerships.

1970: Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway

From 1970, Warren Buffett worked as chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc.

1970: Became Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway

In 1970, Warren Buffett emerged as the chairman and majority shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway.

1973: Berkshire Acquired Stock in Washington Post

In 1973, Berkshire began to acquire stock in the Washington Post Company.

1977: Berkshire Purchased Buffalo Evening News

In 1977, Berkshire indirectly purchased the Buffalo Evening News for $32.5 million, leading to antitrust charges instigated by its rival, the Buffalo Courier-Express.

1978: Charlie Munger joined Berkshire Hathaway

In 1978, Charlie Munger joined Warren Buffett as vice-chairman of Berkshire Hathaway.

1979: Berkshire acquired stock in ABC

In 1979, Berkshire began to acquire stock in ABC.

1982: Buffalo Courier-Express Folded

In 1982, The Buffalo Courier-Express folded.

March 18, 1985: Capital Cities Purchased ABC

On March 18, 1985, Capital Cities announced a $3.5 billion purchase of ABC, and Warren Buffett helped finance the deal in return for a 25% stake in the combined company.

1985: Sold Mills of Berkshire Hathaway

In 1985, Warren Buffet sold the last of the mills that had been the core business of Berkshire Hathaway.

1985: First Television Appearance on Adam Smith's Money World

In 1985, Warren Buffett made his first television appearance on Adam Smith's Money World.

1987: Berkshire Hathaway Purchased Stake in Salomon Inc.

In 1987, Berkshire Hathaway purchased a 12% stake in Salomon Inc., making it the largest shareholder and Buffett a director.

1988: Bought The Coca-Cola Company Stock

In 1988, Warren 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

In August 1991, John Gutfreund left Salomon, and Warren Buffett became chairman of Salomon until the crisis passed.

1998: Acquired General Re (Gen Re)

In 1998 Warren Buffett acquired General Re (Gen Re) as a subsidiary in a deal that presented difficulties due to inadequate underwriting standards and a problematic derivatives book.

1998: Coca-Cola Shares Peak

In 1998, The Coca-Cola Company shares peaked at $86. Buffett discussed the difficulties of knowing when to sell in Berkshire Hathaway's 2004 annual report.

1998: Buffett's Harvard Address on Gold

In 1998, Warren Buffett delivered an address at Harvard where he was critical of gold as an investment, primarily because of its non-productive nature.

November 1999: Buffett Warns of Unrealistic Expectations

In his November 1999 Fortune article, Warren Buffett warned of investors' unrealistic expectations.

2000: Analogy about inheritance tax

In 2000, Warren Buffett made a comparison to the 2000 Olympic gold medalists to express his opinion on inheritance tax. He stated that repealing it would be like "choosing the 2020 Olympic team by picking the eldest sons of the gold-medal winners in the 2000 Olympics".

2001: Lincoln Town Car owned

In 2006, Warren Buffett auctioned his 2001 Lincoln Town Car on eBay to raise money for Girls, Inc.

2002: Involved with AIG

In 2002, General Re provided reinsurance after Warren Buffett became involved with Maurice R. Greenberg at AIG.

2002: Buffett Enters Currency Contracts

In 2002, Warren Buffett entered into $11 billion worth of forward contracts to deliver U.S. dollars against other currencies.

2002: Buffett Enters Foreign Currency Market

In 2002, Warren Buffett entered the foreign currency market for the first time due to the trade deficit.

2002: Adviser to Nuclear Threat Initiative

In 2002, Warren Buffett pledged $50 million to the Nuclear Threat Initiative in Washington and began serving as an advisor.

2004: Buffett Lambasts Stock Option Compensation Bill

At the 2004 annual meeting, Warren Buffett criticized a bill before the United States Congress that would consider only some company-issued stock options compensation as an expense. He compared the bill to a hypothetical one in the Indiana House of Representatives to change the value of Pi from 3.14159 to 3.2.

2004: Wife's Estate to Buffett Foundation

In 2004, the bulk of Warren Buffett's wife's estate, valued at $2.6 billion, went to the Buffett Foundation.

2004: Buffett Discusses Selling Difficulties

In the company's 2004 annual report, Warren Buffett discussed the difficulties of knowing when to sell, in light of The Coca-Cola Company's stock peaking in 1998.

2005: Buffett Reduces Stake in Foreign Currency Market

In 2005, Warren Buffett substantially reduced his stake in the foreign currency market because changing interest rates increased the costs of holding currency contracts. He remained bearish on the dollar, looking to acquire companies with substantial foreign revenues.

April 2006: Buffett's Gain on Currency Contracts

In April 2006, Warren Buffett's total gain on forward contracts to deliver U.S. dollars against other currencies exceeded $2 billion.

June 2006: Charitable Giving Plan Announcement

In June 2006, Warren Buffett announced his plan to donate 83% of his fortune to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

June 2006: Buffett Announces Charitable Giving

In June 2006, Warren Buffett announced his plan to gradually donate 85% of his Berkshire holdings to five foundations, with the largest portion going to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, starting in July 2006. This was one of the largest philanthropic contributions of all time.

June 23, 2006: Largest Charitable Donation

On June 23, 2006, Warren Buffett pledged approximately $30.7 billion worth of Berkshire Hathaway Class B shares to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, marking the largest charitable donation in history.

July 2006: Start of Charitable Stock Gifts

In July 2006, Warren Buffett began annual gifts of stock to five foundations, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, as part of his commitment to give away 85% of his Berkshire holdings.

2006: Lincoln Town Car Auction

In 2006, Warren 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, which was relatively small compared to the compensation of senior executives in similar companies.

2007: PacifiCorp Cancels Coal-Fired Power Plants

In 2007, Buffett's PacifiCorp, a subsidiary of MidAmerican Energy Company, canceled six proposed coal-fired power plants, including Utah's Intermountain Power Project Unit 3 and Jim Bridger Unit 5, due to pressure from regulators and citizen groups.

2007: Succession Planning Announcement

In 2007, Warren Buffett announced in a letter to shareholders that he was seeking a younger successor, or multiple successors, to manage his investment business.

2007: Charity Luncheon Auction

In 2007, Warren Buffett auctioned a luncheon with himself, raising $650,100 for the Glide Foundation.

2007: Buffett's Bet on Index Funds

In 2007, Warren Buffett made a bet with numerous managers that a simple S&P 500 index fund would outperform hedge funds that charge exorbitant fees.

2007: Buffett Testifies Before Senate on Estate Tax

In 2007, Warren Buffett testified before the Senate, advocating for the preservation of the estate tax to prevent a plutocracy. He argued against repealing the inheritance tax, likening it to selecting the 2020 Olympic team by choosing the eldest sons of the 2000 Olympic gold medalists.

2007: Criticism During Subprime Mortgage Crisis

In 2007, with the onset of the subprime mortgage crisis and the Great Recession, Warren Buffett faced criticism for allocating capital too early, which led to suboptimal deals. He called the downturn in the financial sector that started in 2007 "poetic justice".

September 23, 2008: Berkshire Hathaway Invests in Goldman Sachs

On September 23, 2008, Berkshire Hathaway acquired 10 percent of perpetual preferred stock of Goldman Sachs.

October 2008: Buffett Agrees to Buy General Electric Preferred Stock

In October 2008, Warren Buffett agreed to purchase General Electric (GE) preferred stock, which included an option to buy three billion shares of GE stock at $22.25 over five years, along with a 10% dividend.

October 2008: Buffett Invests in BYD Company

In October 2008, Warren Buffett invested $230 million for a 10% stake in battery maker BYD Company, which has a subsidiary named BYD Auto, an electric automobile manufacturer. Within a year, this investment yielded a return of over 500%.

2008: Buffett's "Buy American" Opinion Piece and Berkshire's Earnings Drop

In 2008, Warren Buffett published an opinion piece in the New York Times titled "Buy American. I am." advocating for investing in American companies. Also in 2008, Berkshire Hathaway experienced a 77% drop in earnings during Q3, and several of Buffett's later deals suffered significant mark-to-market losses.

2008: Total Compensation

In 2008, Warren Buffett's total compensation amounted to $175,000, which included a base salary of $100,000.

February 2009: Buffett Sells Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson Shares

In February 2009, Warren Buffett sold some of his personal portfolio shares of Procter & Gamble Co. and Johnson & Johnson.

March 2009: Buffett Comments on Economy and Inflation

In March 2009, Warren Buffett stated in a cable television interview that the economy had "fallen off a cliff" and people had drastically changed their habits. He also expressed concerns about the potential resurgence of 1970s-style inflation.

June 2009: Berkshire Hathaway Market Capitalization

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: Buffett Divests ConocoPhillips Investment

In 2009, Warren Buffett divested his failed investment in ConocoPhillips, addressing his Berkshire investors regarding the matter.

2009: Second Richest Man in the US

In 2009, after donating billions of dollars to charity, Warren Buffett was ranked as the second richest man in the United States with a net worth of $37 billion.

June 2010: Buffett Defends Credit-Rating Agencies

In June 2010, Warren Buffett defended credit-rating agencies for their role in the US financial crisis.

December 9, 2010: Gates-Buffett Giving Pledge

On December 9, 2010, Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg signed the "Gates-Buffett Giving Pledge", promising to donate at least half of their wealth to charity and encouraging other wealthy individuals to do the same.

2010: Founded the Giving Pledge

In 2010, Warren Buffett founded the Giving Pledge with Bill Gates, whereby billionaires pledge to give away at least half of their fortunes.

March 18, 2011: Goldman Sachs Repurchases Berkshire's Preferred Stock

On March 18, 2011, Goldman Sachs received Federal Reserve approval to buy back Berkshire Hathaway's preferred stock in Goldman. Buffett had been reluctant to relinquish the stock, which averaged $1.4 million in daily dividends.

November 2011: Buffett Invests in IBM

In November 2011, Warren Buffett's purchase of 64 million shares of International Business Machine Corp (IBM) stock, valued at approximately $11 billion, was revealed, raising his stake in the company to around 5.5 percent. This investment surprised many observers, as Buffett had previously stated he would not invest in technology due to a lack of understanding.

2011: Newspaper Acquisition

Warren Buffett's company acquired the Omaha World Herald newspaper in 2011, which he reads daily.

May 2012: Buffett on Technology Stocks and IPOs

In May 2012, Warren Buffett stated that he had avoided buying stock in high-technology companies like Facebook and Google due to their complexity and the difficulty in estimating their future value. He also advised that initial public offerings (IPOs) are typically bad investments, and investors should seek companies that will retain good value over ten years.

May 2012: Buffett Acquires Media General

In May 2012, Warren Buffett's acquisition of Media General, consisting of 63 newspapers in the southeastern U.S., was announced.

May 2013: Buffett Discusses Newspaper Acquisitions

At the Berkshire shareholders meeting in May 2013, Warren Buffett stated that he did not expect newspaper acquisitions to significantly impact Berkshire's overall performance, but he anticipated an annual return of 10 percent.

July 18, 2013: Press of Atlantic City Sold to BH Media Group

On July 18, 2013, it was announced that the Press of Atlantic City would be sold to Warren Buffett's BH Media Group by ABARTA.

September 2013: Buffett Compares U.S. Federal Reserve to Hedge Fund

In late September 2013, during a presentation to Georgetown University students in Washington, D.C., Warren Buffett compared the U.S. Federal Reserve to a hedge fund and stated that the bank generates "$80 billion or $90 billion a year probably" in revenue for the U.S. government.

December 9, 2013: Berkshire Hathaway Purchase of USG Corporation Shares

On December 9, 2013, Berkshire Hathaway purchased shares in USG Corporation, which led to a fine in August 2014 for failing to report the purchase as required.

August 14, 2014: Berkshire Hathaway's Share Price Hits $200,000

On August 14, 2014, Berkshire Hathaway's share price reached $200,000 for the first time, valuing the company at $328 billion.

August 20, 2014: Berkshire Hathaway Fined for Reporting Violation

On August 20, 2014, Berkshire Hathaway was fined $896,000 for failing to report the December 9, 2013, purchase of shares in USG Corporation as required.

2017: Index Fund Outperforms Hedge Funds

By 2017, the S&P 500 index fund in Warren Buffett's bet was outperforming every hedge fund that had made the bet against him.

January 2018: Buffett Comments on Bitcoin and Cryptocurrencies

In January 2018, Warren Buffett stated in an interview with CNBC that the cryptocurrency craze, specifically regarding Bitcoin, would not end well, referring to it as "rat poison squared." He also said he would not short bitcoin futures.

2018: Forbes' List Ranking

In 2018, after donating almost $3.4 billion, Warren Buffett was ranked 3rd in the Forbes' List of Billionaires.

2020: Analogy about inheritance tax

In 2020, Warren Buffett used an analogy to express his opinion on inheritance tax. He stated that repealing it would be like "choosing the 2020 Olympic team by picking the eldest sons of the gold-medal winners in the 2000 Olympics".

June 2021: Buffett Comments on COVID-19 Economic Impact

In June 2021, Warren Buffett stated in a CNBC interview that the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has increased economic inequality. He noted the negative impact on numerous small businesses and predicted unpredictability in the markets and economy during the post-pandemic recovery, despite efforts from the Biden administration and the Federal Reserve.

June 23, 2021: Resignation as Gates Foundation Trustee

On June 23, 2021, Warren Buffett announced his resignation as a trustee of the Gates Foundation, which was a significant shift from his previous intention to pass most of his fortune to his own Buffett Foundation.