Warren Buffett is the only one of the world's 500 richest billionaires to have benefited financially from President Donald Trump's tariffs, which have caused panic in global markets and plunged stock markets into crisis.
According to the latest data from the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, 499 of the richest billionaires have suffered major losses in their assets since the beginning of 2025, while Buffett has increased his wealth by $12.7 billion.
Among the biggest losers is Elon Musk, who has lost a whopping $130 billion this year alone. He has made direct but unsuccessful calls for the president to withdraw the tariffs, calling them harmful to American manufacturing and exports. Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg have also taken big hits, with losses of $45.2 billion and $28.1 billion, respectively.
Meanwhile, Buffett, 94, has pursued a completely different strategy: selling most of his holdings in companies like DaVita, Bank of America, CitiGroup and Apple, and liquidating ETFs that he had previously declared as sources of profit. He has amassed a record $325 billion in cash, giving Berkshire Hathaway enough financial clout to buy all but the 25 largest U.S. companies.
In an interview with CBS News, Buffett called the tariffs "an act of war, to some extent," openly showing his concern about Trump's economic policies. However, unlike many others, he appears to have benefited from them, writes A2 CNN.
As global markets tumble — with the S&P 500 down nearly 20% since February — Trump continues to stubbornly defend tariffs, casting them as a strategy to revive American manufacturing. He warned that if China does not withdraw its tariff countermeasures by April 8, the US will impose additional tariffs of 50% on April 9, raising fears of a global recession.
Meanwhile, Berkshire Hathaway, with a market value of $1.06 trillion, is shifting its focus to investing in Japan, adding stakes in five giant trading houses such as Itochu, Marubeni, Mitsubishi, Mitsui and Sumitomo.
Buffett has also sold off parts of his real estate empire. According to the Wall Street Journal, Compass is in advanced talks to buy HomeServices of America, Berkshire's real estate arm, A2 CNN writes.
Meanwhile, the rest of the financial world is reeling: $32.9 billion in billionaire wealth disappeared on Friday alone – the worst day since the COVID-19 pandemic. The total value of the losses of the 500 richest people has reached $536 billion in 2025.
As Trump stands firm on tariffs, experts warn the consequences could be catastrophic for the global economy. But for Warren Buffett, the man who bought his first stock at age 11 and built one of the world's largest financial empires, this crisis is turning out to be another chapter of success. (A2 Televizion)
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