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Makes first stock purchase
At only 11 years old, Warren makes his first investment in Cities Services. He buys 3 preferred shares for himself and three for his sister at $38; he ends up selling at $40, only to watch the stock climb past $200 over the coming months. -
Buys land for the first time
After saving up $1,200 from selling Washington Post newspapers, Buffett buys 40 acres of farmland in Omaha. -
Establishes Buffett Associates, Ltd.
Buffett creates his first partnership and pools a total of $105,000 from seven family members and friends. He invests $100 of his own money. By 1961 he is running seven partnerships, which he proceeds to merge into one. -
Buys house
Buffett purchases a five-bedroom, stucco house in Omaha, Nebraska for $31,500. He still owns and lives in it to this day. -
Invests in Sanborn Map Company
Buffett purchases a major stake in the New York-based publisher of maps used to estimate fire insurance liabilities. -
Invests in Dempster Mill Manufacturing
Buffett makes his first $1 million dollar investment in the Omaha-based windmill manufacturer. He sells the company in 1963 for $2.3 million after it turns profitable. -
Starts buying Berkshire Hathaway
Buffett stumbles upon the struggling textile manufacturing company and begins buying shares at $7.50. The Buffett partnerships become largest shareholder of the company by 1963. -
Invest in American Express
After a fraud scandal collapses American Express shares to $35, Buffett steps in and buys a 5% stake for roughly $13 million. The stock hits $180 a share in 1967, raking in a $20 million profit for the partnership. -
Invests in Walt Disney Co.
After personally meeting with Walt himself, Buffett buys a 5% stake in the entertainment company for $4 million. -
Buys Hochschild Kohn & Co.
Buffett acquires the Baltimore-based department store in a deal worth approximately $6 million. -
Buys National Indemnity Company
Buffett acquires the Omaha-based insurance company in its entirety for $8.6 million. -
Acquires Illinois National Bank
Buffett purchases a 98% stake in the regional bank for $15.5 million. -
Acquires See's Candy
Buffett buys the San Francisco-based candy and chocolate maker for $25 million. -
Invests in The Washington Post Companies
Buffett began buying shares of the newspaper company and by the end of the year Berkshire had a 10% stake reportedly worth around $10 million. -
Invests in GEICO
Buffett starts buying stock at around $2 a share when the insurer was on the brink of bankruptcy. By 1980, Berkshire's 33% stake, worth roughly $47 million, had grown to a whopping $105 million. -
Purchases Buffalo News for $32.5 million
Buffett acquires the Niagara Falls metropolitan area newspaper for $32.5 million. -
Invests in ABC News Network
Buffett starts buying shares in the TV network company. -
Buys Nebraska Furniture Mart
Buffett purchases an 80% stake in his hometown furniture maker for $55 million. -
Acquires Scott & Fertzer
Buffett buys the Cleveland-based diversified manufacturing company for $320 million. The firm's products include World Book encyclopedia, Kirby vacuum cleaners, and Ginsu knives among many others. -
Buys Fechheimer Brothers Company
Buffett purchases an 84% stake in the Cincinnati-based manufacturer and distributor of public safety and military uniforms for $46 million. -
Invests in Salomon Brothers
Buffett purchases a 12% stake in the troubled investment bank for $700 million and works hard to turn the firm around amid a flurry of scandals shaking up Wall Street. Berkshire sold the firm to Travelers in 1997, with the original investment having grown to $1.7 billion. -
Invests in Coca-Cola
Buffett purchases a 7% stake in the iconic beverage company in a deal reportedly worth just over $1 billion. Two decades later, Berkshire is still holding the position, which has grown to over $10 billion. -
Invests in USAir Group
Buffett enters the airline industry with a $358 million investment in the Arizona-based holding company. In retrospect, he admits this is one of his worst investments ever. -
Buys Borsheim's Jewelry
Buffett purchases an 80% stake in his hometown jewelry store for an undisclosed amount and tells management, "Don't change a thing." -
Invests in Gillette
Buffett purchases an 11% stake in the Boston-based razor maker for $600 million in preferred stock. -
Invests in Champion International
Buffett purchases an 8% stake in the Connecticut-based forest-products company for $300 million. At the time of the deal, the company boasts shaky fundamentals, but Buffett has his eye on several million acres of timberland that are on the books.
