Animation: Berkshire Hathaway’s Holdings Since 1994

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Animation: Berkshire Hathaway’s Holdings Since 1994

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Visualizing Berkshire Hathaway’s Holdings Since 1994

If you’re a long-time follower of Visual Capitalist, then you probably know that we’re big fans of Warren Buffett.

We’ve written numerous articles about the world-famous investor, covering everything from his early years to his most famous quotes. As one of the wealthiest and most influential investors in the world, he’s an important market player to keep track of.

As our latest addition to the Warren Buffett archives, this animated video by Sjoerd Tilmans highlights three decades of Warren Buffett’s investments. It shows what his holding company, Berkshire Hathaway, has been invested in since 1994, using data from the company’s financial reports.

A Rocky Start: The Early Years of Berkshire Hathaway

Before becoming the multinational conglomerate that it is today, Berkshire Hathaway was once a massive (yet struggling) textile company in Rhode Island.

Buffett first invested in the company in the late 1950s, when the company’s shares were declining. By 1964, things still hadn’t picked up for the company, and Buffett was ready to cut his losses and move on.

But when industrialist Seabury Stanton, the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway at the time, offered to buy Buffett out for less than the price he’d originally promised, things got interesting. Buffett was so furious by the offer that instead of selling his shares, he bought more, eventually taking control of the company and letting Stanton go.

The textile company never recovered, and Berkshire Hathaway eventually became Buffett’s holding company for other investments. He estimates that his investment in Berkshire Hathaway ultimately cost him $200 billion.

A Brighter Future: Berkshire Hathaway Now

Despite its tumultuous past, Berkshire Hathaway is now associated with tremendous financial success. In 2021, the conglomerate generated over $276 billion in total revenue.

And Buffett has about a 38% stake in the company, which means he’s one of the wealthiest people on the planet. As of today’s publication date, his net worth sits at $93.3 billion.

In the long run, Berkshire Hathaway has outperformed the market by a landslide. Here’s a look at the holding company’s compounded annual gain, and overall gain, compared to the S&P 500:

Berkshire HathawayS&P 500
Compounded Annual Gain (1965-2021)20.1%10.5%
Overall Gain (1964-2021)3,641,613%30,209%

Note: These figures are from Berkshire Hathaway’s (BH) Annual Report. BH’s market value is after-tax, and S&P 500 is pre-tax, including dividends.

According to the conglomerate’s website, it owns 62 different companies outright, including big names like GEICO, Dairy Queen, Kraft Heinz, and Duracell, and also has large investments in companies like Apple, Wells Fargo, and Coca-Cola.

However, as the graphic above indicates, the exact composition of its portfolio has certainly evolved over the years. As of June 2022, here’s a breakdown of Berkshire Hathaway Holdings:

CompanyValue (Millions)% of Portfolio
Apple$122,33740%
American Express$21,0167%
Bank of America$31,44410%
Coca-Cola$25,1648%
Chevron$23,3738%
Kraft Foods$12,4194%
Other$71,55923%

It’s a well-balanced portfolio of big tech, banks, and consumer goods. Despite being 92 years old, Buffett remains the chairman and CEO of the conglomerate.

As for future succession plans, Greg Abel has been selected as the successor to Buffett as CEO, while the the Guardian has reported that Buffett’s oldest son Howard is expected to take over as non-executive chair when his father is no longer in charge.

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This article was published as a part of Visual Capitalist's Creator Program, which features data-driven visuals from some of our favorite Creators around the world.

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Markets

Ranked: Top Countries by Stock Market Returns Since 2015

Wondering how stock market returns vary by country? Here’s the annualized return of the largest stock exchanges in 30 countries since 2015.

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Ranked: Top Countries by Stock Market Returns Since 2015

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Key Takeaways

  • The S&P 500 delivered a 17% annualized return in 10 years, the most for major stock exchanges from around the world.
  • However major indices from Brazil, India, and Vietnam have also logged between 12–16% returns.

Thinking of becoming a true global investor with investments around the world?

Wondering what financial markets to enter next?

This chart, which visualizes annualized returns (in U.S. dollars) between March 15th, 2015–2025 from major stock exchanges in 30 countries, has some insights.

Data is sourced from HelloSafe, a Canadian insurance comparison platform.

The Best Stock Exchanges For Returns Since 2015

The S&P 500 delivered a 17% annualized return in 10 years, the most for major stock exchanges from around the world.

That’s nearly 5x in returns, which means $10,000 invested in 2015 would be almost $50,000 in 2025.

RankCountriesMain IndexAnnualized Return
(2015-2025)
1🇺🇸 U.S.S&P 50016.9%
2🇧🇷 BrazilBovespa15.9%
3🇮🇳 IndiaBSE Sensex15.9%
4🇻🇳 VietnamVN-Index12.2%
5🇳🇿 New ZealandS&P/NZX 5010.7%
6🇷🇺 RussiaMOEX Russia Index9.2%
7🇯🇵 JapanNikkei 2259.1%
8🇨🇭 SwitzerlandSwiss Performance Index (SPI)9.0%
9🇩🇪 GermanyDAX9.0%
10🇳🇱 NetherlandsAEX Index8.8%
11🇵🇱 PolandWIG8.3%
12🇮🇪 IrelandISEQ Overall Index7.3%
13🇨🇦 CanadaS&P/TSX Composite7.2%
14🇮🇹 ItalyFTSE MIB7.1%
15🇿🇦 South AfricaFTSE/JSE All
Share Index
6.9%
16🇦🇹 AustriaATX6.6%
17🇹🇼 TaiwanTAIEX6.4%
18🇸🇪 SwedenOMX Stockholm 306.0%
19🇫🇷 FranceCAC 405.9%
20🇲🇦 MoroccoMASI5.6%
21🇫🇮 FinlandOMX Helsinki 253.4%
22🇦🇺 AustraliaS&P/ASX 2003.3%
23🇬🇧 UKFTSE 1002.7%
24🇧🇪 BelgiumBEL 202.0%
25🇲🇽 MexicoCPI1.8%
26🇵🇹 PortugalPSI 201.7%
27🇪🇸 SpainIBEX 351.7%
28🇸🇬 SingaporeStraits Times Index1.3%
29🇨🇳 ChinaSSE Composite Index0.0%
30🇭🇰 Hong KongHang Seng Index-0.2%
31🇵🇭 PhilippinesPSEi-2.0%

However, major indices from Brazil, India, and Vietnam have also logged between 12–16%.

They’ve handily beaten exchanges in Europe (the DAX and the FTSE) as well as from other parts of Asia (Nikkei).

But also—why has the SSE Composite Index, which tracks the Shanghai stock exchange, not moved at all?

The 2015 Chinese Bubble Explained

Turns out mass inexperienced investing can have major consequences.

In 2015, China’s stock market experienced a surge in retail investor activity, fueled by speculative reading and easy credit.

As a result, the Shanghai Composite Index, which had been climbing rapidly, peaked in June before crashing 30% over the next three weeks.

As of April, 2025, the Shanghai Composite Index has not yet recovered its 2015 high.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

What sectors of the economy take up the most room on financial markets worldwide? Check out: Global Stock Market by Sector for a quick overview. Spoiler: your best guess is probably right.

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