Warren Buffett says Tim Cook made more money for Berkshire than he did, as he prepares to step down as CEO

In his final appearance as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett turned heads with an unexpected spotlight on Apple’s Tim Cook—lauding the tech executive for delivering returns that even Berkshire’s legendary portfolio struggled to match. The billionaire investor, long skeptical of technology stocks, admitted Apple became the crown jewel of the firm’s holdings over the past decade.

Speaking at the company’s annual shareholder meeting, Buffett credited Cook not just for maintaining Apple’s dominance, but for refining it into a global powerhouse. The investment, first initiated in 2016, defied Buffett’s traditional strategy—and yet proved to be one of his most lucrative moves. At one point, Apple made up nearly half of Berkshire’s stock portfolio, with its stake valued at $174 billion on a $40 billion cost basis.

While the firm has since divested a significant chunk of its Apple shares—offloading nearly 70% of its peak holdings—Buffett’s respect for Cook’s leadership remains intact. He emphasized that Apple’s evolution from a hardware innovator to a service-driven tech titan was made possible not just by the vision of Steve Jobs, but by the operational excellence and long-term discipline Cook brought to the role.

As Buffett formally announced that vice-chairman Greg Abel will take over leadership by year’s end, his reflections on Apple marked a symbolic handoff—not just of Berkshire’s leadership, but of a shifting era in investment logic, where technology now holds a permanent place in even the most conservative portfolios.