Warren Buffett
Warren Buffett is an American investor and business executive who built Berkshire Hathaway into one of the world's largest conglomerates, earning him recognition as one of the most successful investors in history.
He filed his first tax return at 13 years old, decades before turning a struggling textile company into one of the largest conglomerates in the world.
An Early Interest in Investing
Buffett displayed an interest in business and investing from a remarkably young age, filing his first tax return at age 13 and studying under influential value-investing theorist Benjamin Graham at Columbia Business School.
Building Berkshire Hathaway
Buffett gradually took control of Berkshire Hathaway, originally a struggling textile manufacturer, in the 1960s, transforming it over subsequent decades into a vast holding company with major stakes in insurance, railroads, and consumer brands.
The Oracle of Omaha
Buffett's disciplined, long-term value investing philosophy and folksy public persona earned him the nickname "the Oracle of Omaha," and his closely watched annual shareholder letters have become required reading across the investment world.
The Giving Pledge
Buffett has committed to giving away the vast majority of his fortune to philanthropic causes, co-founding the Giving Pledge alongside Bill and Melinda Gates to encourage other billionaires to commit the majority of their wealth to charity.
Stepping Back from Daily Leadership
In recent years, Buffett has begun transitioning day-to-day leadership of Berkshire Hathaway to his designated successor, Greg Abel, while remaining chairman and continuing to weigh in on major investment decisions.
