In his farewell letter to Berkshire Hathaway investors, Warren Buffett wrote, “Father Time always wins,” as he became chairman emeritus. The article cites Berkshire’s per-share market value compounding at 19.7% a year from 1965 to 2025 as evidence for long-term investing.
The article says $100 invested in Berkshire in 1965 would have grown to roughly $6.1 million by 2025, compared with about $46,000 in the S&P 500 with dividends. Greg Abel took over as CEO on Jan. 1, and Buffett’s son Howard became chairman on Sept. 18, completing the leadership transition.
Examples of Berkshire’s long-held investments include Coca-Cola, owned since 1988, and American Express, held continuously since 1991; it first bought Apple in 2016. In a 2013 letter, Buffett said cash left for his wife should go 90% to a low-cost S&P 500 index fund and 10% to short-term government bonds. The article also highlights investing fixed sums regularly through market rises and falls.
