Warren Buffett: Key Takeaways from the 2025 Berkshire Meeting
Sunday, May 4, 2025 · Johnny Hopkins
At 94 years old, Warren Buffett still has a firm grip on the essence of long-term investing—and life. Speaking to tens of thousands at the 2025 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting, Buffett offered more than just market commentary. He shared his hard-earned knowledge from decades of discipline, trust, and humility.
One of the most powerful takeaways was Buffett’s emphasis on patience and preparation. “You want to be patient and waiting to get the occasional call,” he said, but when a true opportunity knocks, “you don’t want to be patient… you want to get it done that day.” His career, he explained, wasn’t built on chasing every stock—just the few fat pitches that come along every so often.
Buffett also revisited a theme he’s long championed: doing things you love with people you trust. “The great pleasure in this business is having people trust you,” he said. “That’s really the why—why work at 90 when you’ve got more money than anybody could count?”
While others obsess over quarterly earnings, Buffett remains focused on the big picture. “Nobody knows what the market is going to do tomorrow, next week, or next month,” he said plainly. “I would say that turning every page is one important ingredient to bring to the investment field.” It was a nod to both literal diligence—Buffett’s practice of leafing through thousands of pages of financials—and figurative wisdom: don’t chase headlines, chase understanding.
Buffett also touched on U.S. exceptionalism and global cooperation, warning against the temptation of economic arrogance: “I don’t think it’s right and I don’t think it’s wise… the more prosperous the rest of the world becomes… the more prosperous we’ll become.”
As always, there was humility. Buffett gave heartfelt thanks to Tim Cook, admitting, “I’m somewhat embarrassed to say that Tim Cook has made Berkshire a lot more money than I’ve ever made Berkshire Hathaway.” And despite leading one of the largest corporations on earth, he closed with advice that applies to every young person starting out: “Be very careful who you work for because you will take on the habits of the people around you.”
In other words? Stay curious. Be patient. Find people you trust. And turn every page.
You can watch the entire meeting here: