Phil Osagie

Thu, Jun 19, 2025, 2:07 AM5 min read

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With an estimated net worth of $161.8 billion, Warren Buffett, the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, has built a tremendous financial empire.

Now, At 94 years old, Warren Buffett has finally decided to retire from his longtime post, having announced the decision at the company’s annual shareholder meeting in early May. Vice-chair Greg Abel will take over the top job as of Jan. 1, 2026, and Buffett will remain as chairman.

With a net worth like his, you might anticipate Buffett living a lavish retirement. But unlike the high-roller lifestyles of other extremely rich celebrities and business people, Warren Buffett lives by smart — and surprisingly simple — investment philosophies that have positively influenced millions of investors around the world. One of his most famous rules is to buy and hold for as long as possible.

“You’ve got to be prepared when you buy a stock to have it go down 50% or more, and be comfortable with it… but some people are not really careful. Some people are more subject to fear than others.”

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At the 2022 Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholder’s meeting, Buffet said “Whatever abilities you have can't be taken away from you. They can't be inflated away from you,” he said. “The best investment by far is anything that develops yourself, and it's not taxed at all.”

While this isn’t a traditional investment tip, Buffett firmly believes that by regularly investing in knowledge and self-improvement, you yourself become an asset and can more easily access opportunities for growing your wealth.

Even now, Buffett has wise investment advice for investors seeking to shield their wealth and even grow it while keeping their tax obligations low.

Here are some of his top investing strategies.

Real estate is generally a “good investment” during times of inflation, according to Buffett.

“They’re the businesses that you buy once and then you don’t have to keep making capital investments subsequently. So, you do not face the problem of continuous reinvestments involving greater and greater dollars because of inflation,” he said during the 2015 Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting.