Investor Warren Buffet bags over $12 Billion as world market crashes

As global markets reel from the shockwaves of former US President Donald Trump’s sweeping new tariffs, one man stands virtually untouched—and in fact, richer. Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, was the only billionaire among the world's ten richest individuals to post gains in the aftermath of the $5 trillion global market wipeout.

According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Buffett’s net worth surged by $12.7 billion, pushing his fortune to $155 billion—now tying him with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. Meanwhile, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, and other tech titans saw their wealth plummet as stocks with exposure to China and other tariff-hit nations nosedived.

The dramatic downturn came after Trump slapped tariffs on 184 countries, triggering a sell-off in equities worldwide. The U.S. stock market fell to levels not seen since March 2020, marking one of the worst wealth losses in a single day in Bloomberg’s index history. The top 500 richest people lost a combined $536 billion—except Buffett, who was in a league of his own.

So how did the “Oracle of Omaha” pull this off? His secret weapon was foresight and cash. In 2024, Buffett quietly sold off $134 billion worth of equities and stockpiled a record $334 billion—mostly in short-term U.S. Treasury bills. These safer assets not only preserved capital but gained value amid the stock rout.

Buffett’s biggest win came from cutting Berkshire’s Apple stake by two-thirds just before the iPhone-maker’s shares plunged 28%, largely due to its manufacturing dependence on China. He also offloaded stakes in major banks like Bank of America and Citigroup, both of which are now down over 20% this year.

Despite rumours that Buffett supported Trump’s tariff policies, Berkshire Hathaway has denied any such endorsement. In fact, Buffett has remained silent on the matter, saying he will comment only at the company’s annual shareholder meeting on May 3. Meanwhile, Berkshire Hathaway stock is up 9% year-to-date, powered by its stable holdings in insurance, railroads, and energy—sectors less vulnerable to the ongoing trade chaos.