For nearly two decades, Warren Buffett has marked the start of summer with a generous tradition: donating large sums of Berkshire Hathaway stock to a select group of philanthropic organizations. His 2025 annual gift is his largest yet, totaling $6 billion in shares distributed to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and four nonprofits tied to his family.
More than 12.3 million Class B shares of Berkshire Hathaway stock will be delivered to the foundations today (June 30). The majority (over 9.4 million shares) will go to the Gates Foundation. An additional 943,384 shares are being donated to the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, named after Buffett’s first wife. Meanwhile, 660,366 shares each will go to the Sherwood Foundation, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, and the NoVo Foundation, which are respectively led by Buffett’s children Susie, Howard and Peter.
Buffett first pledged to make annual gifts to the five charities in 2006. Since then, the foundations have received Berkshire Hathaway shares worth a cumulative $60 billion—a sum that is “substantially more than my entire net worth in 2006,” Buffett noted in a letter outlining his latest donation. He added that his remaining shares in the conglomerate are currently valued at approximately $145 billion. Buffett attributed the company’s success to “a very long runway, simple and generally sound decisions, the American tailwind, and compounding effects.”
This year’s summer gift surpasses last year’s, which totaled $5.3 billion. Buffett also frequently makes additional donations to his family foundations around Thanksgiving. Each focuses on distinct causes: The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation primarily supports reproductive health; the Sherwood Foundation backs social justice initiatives in Nebraska; the Howard G. Buffett Foundation concentrates on food security and conflict mitigation; and the NoVo Foundation focuses on women’s rights and local issues in Kingston, N.Y.
An eye on the future
In his letter, Buffett reiterated that he has no plans to sell any of his remaining Berkshire Hathaway shares. Last year, he disclosed that more than 99 percent of his fortune will be transferred to a charitable trust upon his death. The trust will be overseen by his three children—now aged 71, 70 and 67—who will have ten years to distribute the funds.
The legendary investor has also been tying up loose ends at Berkshire Hathaway, the $1 trillion conglomerate he has led since the 1960s. In May, Buffett announced plans to step down as CEO by the end of 2025, naming longtime deputy Greg Abel as his successor. Abel is expected to take the spotlight at next year’s annual shareholder meeting for the first time.
While Buffett’s philanthropic legacy will largely rest in the hands of his children, one major change is certain: his annual gifts to the Gates Foundation will end after his death. Buffett confirmed in a 2024 interview that the foundation—recipient of more than $40 billion from him over the years—will no longer receive contributions from his estate.
The Gates Foundation will continue under the leadership of Bill Gates, who, like Buffett, has pledged to give away the majority of his wealth. Last month, the Microsoft co-founder announced that the foundation will spend down $200 billion over the next two decades and permanently close its doors in 2045. The funds will come from its endowment and the remainder of Gates’ personal fortune.
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