W arren Buffett is an American business magnate who is widely regarded as one of the most successful and influential investors in history. He is the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, a diversified holding company that he has built into one of the largest and most valuable companies in the world. Known as the "Oracle of Omaha," he is a legendary proponent of value investing, a philosophy he learned from his mentor, Benjamin Graham. He began his career in the 1950s and took control of the struggling textile manufacturer, Berkshire Hathaway, in the 1960s, which he gradually transformed into a massive investment vehicle.

Over more than six decades, he has built a colossal portfolio by acquiring large, often controlling, stakes in established, high-quality businesses with durable competitive advantages. Berkshire's major holdings include the insurance giant GEICO, the BNSF Railway, and major stakes in public companies like Apple and Coca-Cola. He is also one of the world's most prominent philanthropists, having co-founded the Giving Pledge with Bill and Melinda Gates, and has committed to giving away more than 99% of his immense fortune to charitable causes, primarily through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.