Warren Buffett is one of the few billionaires in the top 20 world’s richest to emerge financially stronger in 2025, an index heavily affected by US President Donald Trump’s tariff-ridden economy. The 94-year-old Berkshire Hathaway chairman has gained $11.5 billion in personal wealth this year while most of the world’s richest individuals suffer staggering losses.
According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Buffett’s net worth reached $153.5 billion as of Monday, making him the fourth-richest person globally. Still, much like the wealthy top 10 class, he has lost $14.5 billion since April 2, when his net worth hit a five-year high.
Buffett remains one of only two individuals among the top 20 on the Bloomberg ranking to see a net gain in 2025, alongside L’Oreal SA heiress Francoise Bettencourt Meyers, who added $1.8 billion to her fortune. Meyers now ranks nineteenth on the index.
Billionaires wealth erosion triggered by tariffs
When President Trump made the “surprising” announcement of cut-throat tariffs targeting major trade partners, it reportedly resulted in a market selloff that erased over $500 billion from the world’s 500 richest people in just two trading sessions.
Over half of the billionaires tracked by Bloomberg have seen their fortunes shrink this year, with an average decline of 3.3%.
US billionaires bore the brunt of the blow, with tech magnates leading the losses. Tesla and xAI CEO Elon Musk, who retains the world’s wealthiest individual title, has seen $134.7 billion vanish from his net worth this year. His total fortune now stands at $297.8 billion, the first time since November it has fallen below $300 billion.
Meta Platforms Inc. CEO Mark Zuckerberg experienced the sharpest loss in dollar terms. Shares of the tech firm dropped 9.56%, shaving $17.9 billion off his wealth, equivalent to roughly 9% of his net holdings.
Meta, which had been the top performer among the so-called “Magnificent Seven” tech stocks early in the year, has seen its stock tumble by about 28% since mid-February.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos endured the second-largest two-day loss, watching $23.5 billion disappear from his portfolio. Amazon, heavily reliant on imported goods and cloud services based on Asian-made technology, saw its market capitalization decline by hundreds of billions year-to-date and equity tank by over 20% within the same period.
Bezos, whose net worth is estimated at $193 billion, has lost $45 billion this year.
Buffett’s portfolio is strikingly ‘treading’ steadily
Buffett’s holdings in Berkshire Hathaway seem to cancel out the Oracle of Omaha’s net worth negatives. Shares of the Omaha, Nebraska-based conglomerate have declined 8.8% since April 2. While that drop has been felt, it still outperformed the broader S&P 500 Index, which fell 10.7% over the same period.
Analysts credit Berkshire’s relative stability to its substantial insurance sector holdings that are less exposed to international trade disruptions.
“Berkshire’s performance has been a rock in the tariff storm. On days like today, one-third of the market cap in T-Bills is a good feeling.”
~ said Christopher Davis of Hudson Value Partners.
Berkshire’s property and casualty insurance businesses, like Geico, have shielded the company from global supply chain turbulence.
Last Thursday, the KBW Insurance Index slipped 2.7%, but Progressive Corp., a close rival to Geico, gained 2%, led the index, and defied the downward market pressures.
“I estimate that about 40% of all auto drivers in the country can save money by insuring with GEICO. The figure is not 100% because insurers differ in their underwriting judgments, with some favoring drivers who live in certain geographical areas and work in certain occupations more than GEICO does. I believe, however, that GEICO more frequently offers the low price than does any other national carrier selling insurance to all comers,” said Warren Buffett in a recent note to investors.
Photo by TEDizen via Flickr.
Strategic cuts were timely
Buffett’s more cautious investment strategy has also helped limit losses. In recent quarters, he has backed away from large-scale deals and trimmed stakes in major holdings like Apple Inc. and Bank of America Corp. Apple’s market capitalization alone has shrunk by over $300 billion this year.
Other Berkshire holdings, including Chevron Corp. and American Express Co., also fell by over 12% since Thursday’s US trading sessions, contributing to the slight drag on the company’s overall performance.
Still, investors will keep a close eye on Buffett, hoping he will use the ongoing market rout as an opportunity for more acquisitions. His conglomerate is known for pouncing on stocks with the potential to shoot up during times of market distress, as the world’s 4th richest individual did during the 2008 global recession.
