An Enduring Record

On April 10, if you looked at the Bloomberg Billionaire’s Index that keeps track of wealthiest in the world, it was a sea of red. Elon Musk, the richest man alive, had lost $107 billion since the beginning of 2025, Jeff Bezos $28 billion and Mukesh Ambani, 17th on the list, was down $6.55 billion. This is a consequence of the drawdown in financial markets from US tariffs. In that sea, however, there was one island of green. Warren Buffet’s net worth had increased by $20 billion.

Neither accident nor luck had a hand in it. It is why he is considered the world’s greatest investor, who built from scratch a conglomerate now valued at over a trillion dollars. Buffet, at 94, has been in the game for three quarters of a century, and every financial crisis, global or national, has only seen him emerge stronger. In his company Berkshire Hathaway’s annual event, he explains his approach to wealth creation and it is remarkably simple at its core. Buy things when cheap, buy things that will grow in value, buy from honest people, and, once you have done all of that, hold on to what you have patiently. At some point, the growth of some of what you own will stop, sell then. When the market becomes absurdly overpriced, sell what is not core to your assets and increase the stockpile of cash you have. Eventually, the pendulum will swing in the other direction and when things become absurdly cheap, you can then buy a lot more with that cash. Many have become very wealthy following this formula.

It sounds simple enough to emulate and it is, provided you manage your emotions. Because central to the Buffet style of investing is emotional balance. No advanced mathematics or economics is needed, just accessible knowledge, common sense and patience, boxes anyone who is reasonably literate can tick. Human beings, however, associate investing with relentless decision-making, while Buffet’s method is boring. In bull markets, everyone makes money. It is only when a Trump comes alone and shocks the system into near collapse that he gets proven right, yet again.

Bloomberg Billionaireinvestorstock marketWarren Buffett