• Home
  • News
  • Fortune 500
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Warren Buffett

Not only was Buffett a successful investor, his wisdom will last forever. Here are some of his best quotes

By
Stuart Dyos
Stuart Dyos
Weekend News Fellow
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Stuart Dyos
Stuart Dyos
Weekend News Fellow
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 4, 2025, 3:01 PM ET
Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett at a philanthropy event
Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren BuffettMonica Schipper—WireImage
  • Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett announced plans Saturday to step down as chief executive by the end of the year. The legendary investor will leave a lasting legacy and a worldwide following that swears by his words of wisdom. Fortune gathered some of the best quotes from the “Oracle of Omaha.”

Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett announced to shareholders at the company’s annual meeting Saturday that he expects to step down from his role as chief executive by the end of the year. 

Recommended Video

Through Berkshire’s success, Buffett became a celebrity investor, amassing a loyal following that tracks his market moves. 

But not only was Buffett, nicknamed the “Oracle of Omaha,” successful in his investing, his wit and wisdom also highlight his unprecedented career.

Fortune compiled some of his best quotes over the years: 

  • “When we own portions of outstanding businesses with outstanding managements, our favorite holding period is forever,” Buffett wrote in a 1988 shareholder letter commenting on recent investments into Coca-Cola and Freddie Mac. 
  • “It’s far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price than a fair company at a wonderful price,” he said in a 1989 shareholder letter.
  • “You know, Wall Street is the only place that people ride to in a Rolls Royce to get advice from those who take the subway,” Buffett told The Los Angeles Times in 1991.
  • “It’s only when the tide goes out that you learn who’s been swimming naked,” he quipped in a 1992 shareholder letter.
  • “Beware the investment activity that produces applause; the great moves are usually treated by yawns,” he warned in his 2008 shareholder letter amid the U.S. Treasury bond bubble. 
  • “A simple rule dictates my buying: Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful,” Buffett wrote in a 2008 New York Times op-ed.
  • “Our aversion to leverage has dampened our returns over the years. But Charlie [Munger] and I sleep well. Both of us believe it is insane to risk what you have and need in order to obtain what you don’t need,” he cautioned in his 2017 shareholder letter. 
  • “Despite our citizens’ penchant — almost enthusiasm — for self-criticism and self-doubt, I have yet to see a time when it made sense to make a long-term bet against America,” Buffett said in his 2022 shareholder letter.
Fortune Brainstorm AI returns to San Francisco Dec. 8–9 to convene the smartest people we know—technologists, entrepreneurs, Fortune Global 500 executives, investors, policymakers, and the brilliant minds in between—to explore and interrogate the most pressing questions about AI at another pivotal moment. Register here.
About the Author
By Stuart DyosWeekend News Fellow

Stuart Dyos is a weekend news fellow at Fortune, covering breaking news.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in

LawInternet
A Supreme Court decision could put your internet access at risk. Here’s who could be affected
By Dave Lozo and Morning BrewDecember 2, 2025
5 hours ago
A computer screen with the Vanguard logo on it
CryptoBlockchain
Vanguard has a change of heart on crypto, lists Bitcoin and other ETFs
By Carlos GarciaDecember 2, 2025
5 hours ago
AITikTok
China’s ByteDance could be forced to sell TikTok U.S., but its quiet lead in AI will help it survive—and maybe even thrive
By Nicholas GordonDecember 2, 2025
6 hours ago
United Nations
AIUnited Nations
UN warns about AI becoming another ‘Great Divergence’ between rich and poor countries like the Industrial Revolution
By Elaine Kurtenbach and The Associated PressDecember 2, 2025
7 hours ago
Anthropic cofounder and CEO Dario Amodei
AIEye on AI
How Anthropic’s safety first approach won over big business—and how its own engineers are using its Claude AI
By Jeremy KahnDecember 2, 2025
7 hours ago
Sabrina Carpenter
LawImmigration
Sabrina Carpenter rips ‘evil and disgusting’ White House use of one of her songs in an ICE raid video montage
By Fatima Hussein and The Associated PressDecember 2, 2025
7 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Ford workers told their CEO 'none of the young people want to work here.' So Jim Farley took a page out of the founder's playbook
By Sasha RogelbergNovember 28, 2025
4 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Warren Buffett used to give his family $10,000 each at Christmas—but when he saw how fast they were spending it, he started buying them shares instead
By Eleanor PringleDecember 2, 2025
16 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Elon Musk says he warned Trump against tariffs, which U.S. manufacturers blame for a turn to more offshoring and diminishing American factory jobs
By Sasha RogelbergDecember 2, 2025
10 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Forget the four-day workweek, Elon Musk predicts you won't have to work at all in ‘less than 20 years'
By Jessica CoacciDecember 1, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
C-Suite
MacKenzie Scott's $19 billion donations have turned philanthropy on its head—why her style of giving actually works
By Sydney LakeDecember 2, 2025
16 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of December 1, 2025
By Danny BakstDecember 1, 2025
2 days ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.