Warren Buffett Admits He Was Late To Buy Google Stock, Sold Apple Too Early

The 'Oracle of Omaha', Warren Buffett, has opened up about some of his biggest investment regrets, admitting he was slow to buy into Google parent Alphabet and that he sold Apple shares too early despite recognising the company's strength.

Speaking to CNBC, Berkshire Hathaway Chairman said he personally initiated the company's now $30 billion position in Alphabet, clarifying that the investment was his own call and not that of his successor and new Berkshire chief executive officer Greg Abel, as many had assumed.

Buffett said Alphabet was not among his top picks, but acknowledged he should have invested sooner. He has previously said he stayed away from technology stocks for years because he did not understand how such companies made money or whether their earnings would hold up, a decision he later admitted cost Berkshire investors significant returns.

Apple Remains Berkshire's Biggest Bet

Apple continues to be Berkshire's largest holding, making up close to 22% of its roughly $263 billion stock portfolio. Buffett first bought Apple shares between 2016 and 2018, investing about $35 billion. That investment grew to nearly $185 billion before taxes, including dividends and gains, Buffett was quoted as saying by Business Insider. "And I didn't have to do a damn thing," he said.

Even so, Buffett said he exited part of the position earlier than he should have. "I sold it too soon. But, I bought it even sooner," he told CNBC.

To Stop Future Gates Foundation Donations

Buffett also confirmed he is ending future donations to the Gates Foundation, the philanthropic organisation co-founded by Microsoft's Bill Gates. He downplayed the role that Gates' association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein played in the decision, though he described the connection as "distasteful." Buffett said the decision was primarily driven by his three children now demonstrating they are capable of responsibly giving away "vast sums of money."

Over the past 20 years, Buffett donated nearly $48 billion worth of Berkshire shares, valued at the time of each donation, to the Gates Foundation.

During the same period, he gave almost $18 billion to four other family related foundations, the Sherwood Foundation run by his daughter Susie Buffett, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, Peter Buffett's NoVo Foundation and the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, named after his late first wife.

Warns Against 'Gambling' In Markets

Buffett also commented on current market behaviour, saying it increasingly resembles gambling rather than genuine investing. "It is tough to find value when everybody is preferring gambling," he said. He added that opportunities do not always come frequently and investors need to be patient. "And it should always be that the latter is what prevails," he said.

The 95 year old investor said the incentive structures in modern markets favour speculation. "But since humans love to gamble so much, there is more money in actually cultivating gamblers than in cultivating investors," he said.