He wasn’t even a teenager when he made his first stock market move, and it ended in profit. Today, as Warren Buffett retires, he signs off as the fifth richest person in the world, closing the chapter on a career that shaped global investing.
Born with an instinct for money, Buffett began investing at the age of 11. He bought his first stock and made a modest profit of 4.6%, sparking a lifelong passion for finance. After graduating from Columbia University with a master’s in economics, Buffett joined his father’s firm and later worked under Benjamin Graham, the man often hailed as the father of value investing.
By 1956, Buffett had saved $174,000 (about $1.5 million today) and launched his own partnerships. Within just three years, he had seven active investment partnerships and met Charlie Munger, who would become his trusted partner for decades.
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In 1962, Buffett began acquiring shares in Berkshire Hathaway, then a struggling textile company. By 1965, he had taken control. Realizing textiles had no future, Buffett pivoted the company toward insurance—starting with National Indemnity and GEICO. These became the foundation of a financial empire.
Under Buffett’s leadership, Berkshire Hathaway transformed into a diversified giant with stakes in Coca-Cola, Apple, Kraft Heinz, and Bank of America. A single Class A share of Berkshire now trades at nearly $700,000, one of the most expensive in history.
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Buffett became a billionaire in 1986. In 2024, Berkshire’s valuation soared past $1 trillion. And in 2025, Buffett’s final move—strategic stock sales—built a $330 billion cash reserve that protected the company during the Trump tariff shock.
Even in his final year, Buffett outpaced the S&P 500. His legendary foresight remained unmatched. And now, at the very top, the Oracle of Omaha walks away.
From a precocious 11-year-old investor to a trillion-dollar business icon, Warren Buffett retires not just as a business tycoon—but as a timeless symbol of patience, wisdom, and compounding greatness.
