Warren Buffett's Top Investment Successes

Investments case studies with unbelievable returns

Author

Igor Buinevici
August 23, 2025

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Hey,

As I was sipping my morning coffee today,

I delved deep into researching some of Warren Buffett’s most successful investment decisions.

I want to share the top 6 with you:

1. Insurance

Buffett’s foundational move into insurance began in 1967.

It paved the way for Berkshire’s enormous insurance complex (GEICO, General Re, etc.).

Berkshire’s insurance market capitalization grew from millions to hundreds of billions.

This became the capital engine for many of Buffett’s major investments.

2. See’s Candy

In 1972, Buffett paid $25 million for See’s Candy.

Since then, See’s has generated over $2 billion in cumulative earnings.

That’s an 80x return (or 8,000%) on the original purchase price.

3. Utilities (Berkshire Hathaway Energy)

In 2000, Buffett paid $2.1 billion to acquire MidAmerican Energy (later BHE, owning PacifiCorp, NV Energy, etc.).

In 2024 alone, Berkshire’s utility division generated $3.7 billion in net profit.

Although Berkshire made additional investments in this business, the returns have been very solid.

4. BYD (Chinese EV Maker)

Following Charlie Munger’s recommendation, Berkshire invested $232 million in BYD in 2008.

That stake soared to a peak value of $7.5–7.7 billion, an over 30x return, before Buffett began gradually trimming the position.

As of 2025, Berkshire still holds a ~7% stake, worth several billion USD.

5. Apple (2016 Onward)

Buffett had historically avoided tech until Apple.

Starting in 2016, Berkshire invested ~$35 billion in Apple.

By late 2023, that position peaked at $173–174 billion, representing ~6% of Apple and ~40% of Berkshire’s portfolio.

In 2024, Buffett sold about two-thirds, leaving around 300 million shares worth ~$60 billion by mid-2025.

6. American Express, Coca‑Cola & Bank of America

Buffett bought into these during downturns:

AmEx amid scandal, Coca‑Cola when soda was out of favor, BoA during the financial crisis.

Berkshire’s positions in these three companies generated over $100 billion in gains, not including dividends.

Buffett’s record isn’t flawless.

His missteps include:

Dexter Shoe, holding onto the original textile business, missing early investments in Amazon and Google.

But the overall gains massively outweigh the mistakes.

What does this all mean?

  1. Long-term focus wins

    Buffett only invests if he’s willing to hold forever.

    Most people chase short-term trades.

  2. Be greedy when others are fearful

    Some of his best investments came during panic selling and downturns.

  3. Execution trumps excitement

    Buffett sticks to a structured, value-investing approach without hype.

  4. Don’t fear mistakes

    Even the best investors get it wrong. Learn fast and move forward.

This is exactly the kind of topic we’ll cover in my Investment MBA program.

Join the waitlist and get exclusive early access:

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Talk soon,
Igor