Mirror Review
June 30, 2025
Warren Buffett, the Oracle of Omaha, has long been admired not just for his investing genius but for his quiet, consistent generosity.
On June 28, 2025, he donated approximately $6 billion worth of Berkshire Hathaway Class B shares. The primary recipient of these shares was the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, while the rest was shared among the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, the Sherwood Foundation, and the Howard G. Buffett Foundation.
These Warren Buffett donations are part of his ongoing pledge, initiated in 2006, to gradually give away almost all of his Berkshire Hathaway stock to philanthropic causes.
“Were we to use more than 1% of my claim checks (Berkshire Hathaway stock certificates) on ourselves, neither our happiness nor our well-being would be enhanced. In contrast, that remaining 99% can have a huge effect on the health and welfare of others.”
This powerful statement from Warren Buffett’s 2010 pledge letter has powered his extraordinary generosity.
But how does this latest gift compare to his other monumental donations?
The 3 Biggest Warren Buffett Donations Ever
Warren Buffett’s approach to giving isn’t about grand gestures; it’s about steady, purposeful generosity.
Over the years, he’s made countless donations, but his annual gifts of Berkshire Hathaway stock have consistently been the most impactful.
Here’s a closer look at the three most significant contributions he’s ever made.
1. The 2006 Pledge to the Gates Foundation
In June 2006, Buffett announced his plan to give away 83% of his fortune. He pledged around 10 million Berkshire Hathaway Class B shares to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).
At the time, that commitment was worth $30.7 billion, making it the largest single charitable donation in history.
The shares were to be delivered in chunks—5% each July—under the condition that Bill or Melinda Gates remained actively involved in the foundation’s work.
To show his commitment, Buffett even joined the foundation’s board, though he later stepped down in 2021.
By 2022, his contributions to the Gates Foundation alone were $36 billion, valued at the time of receipt.
Mark Suzman, CEO of the Gates Foundation, reflected on the significance of Buffett’s gift, stating: “The impact of [Warren’s] prodigious generosity is hard to quantify. Even harder to quantify is how his values have permeated the foundation’s culture.”
2. The Giving Pledge Initiative (2010)
In 2010, Buffett, alongside Bill and Melinda Gates, co-founded The Giving Pledge.
This time, he wasn’t giving money directly—but instead, inspiring others to do the same. The idea was simple: encourage the world’s wealthiest individuals to commit at least 50% of their fortune to charitable causes during their lifetime or in their will.
Buffett led by example. In his 2010 letter, he made it clear, stating: “More than 99% of my wealth will go to philanthropy during my lifetime or at death.”
The impact of this has been remarkable! Since then, over 250 billionaires from 30 countries have joined the pledge, donating billions of dollars for charities around the world.
While it wasn’t a traditional donation, The Giving Pledge may be Buffett’s most influential gift yet—not in dollars, but in inspiration.
3. Ongoing Annual Distributions
Buffett’s strategy involves annual distributions of his Berkshire Hathaway shares as stated in his pledge letter, “I will continue to annually distribute about 4% of the shares I retain”.
These regular yearly donations represent a continuous flow of capital to vital causes.
Some of his largest recent annual Warren Buffett donations include:
- The recent $6 billion gift on June 28, 2025, to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and his family foundations.
- His largest annual donation prior to the recent one was $5.3 billion in 2024, also distributed to the Gates Foundation and his family charities.
- In November 2023, he gave approximately $1.14 billion specifically to his family’s charities. Until 2023, Buffett had already given over $50 billion to charitable causes.
- In 2018, he made significant donations totaling almost $3.4 billion.
- A substantial amount of $2.6 billion from his late wife, Susan Thompson Buffett’s estate, also went to his Buffett Foundation in 2004.
The Long-Lasting Impact of Warren Buffett Donations
Warren Buffett‘s approach to philanthropy is distinctive. He views his wealth not as personal gain but as “claim checks” that, when converted to cash, can greatly benefit those who have been less fortunate.
His focus remains on providing funds for immediate impact, stating, “Nothing will go to endowments; I want the money spent on current needs.”
This philosophy, along with these massive Warren Buffett donations, has made him the most significant philanthropist of our time.
