The fear of trade wars in the global economy is on the rise. Escapes from risky assets accelerated following Trump’s statements. The wealth of the world’s richest individuals dwindled. The only name that has increased its wealth since the beginning of the year is Warren Buffett. Buffett’s success in his long-time stock sales is not considered a coincidence.

Global markets have gone through one of their toughest weeks. US President Donald Trump’s aggressive trade policy brought selling pressure to the markets. The US stock market lost a staggering $6 trillion in just 2 days. Major companies saw double-digit losses in their shares. The fortunes of billionaires eroded in the past week. The collective wealth of the world’s richest 500 individuals decreased by $208 billion. Following Trump’s announcement, the biggest loss was $18 billion, which was suffered by Meta’s founder Mark Zuckerberg, followed by $16 billion from Jeff Bezos and $11 billion from Elon Musk. THIS YEAR, ONLY THE OMAHA PROPHET WON According to Bloomberg Billionaires Index data, the billionaires’ fortunes decreased significantly in 2025. Elon Musk suffered the biggest loss of $130 billion since the beginning of the year. During this period, Bezos’ wealth decreased by $45 billion, Zuckerberg’s by $28 billion, and Bernard Arnault’s by $18 billion. The only name among the top 10 on the list to increase their wealth this year is the famous investor known as the Omaha Prophet, Warren Buffett. Buffett’s wealth increased by $12 billion during this period, reaching $155 billion. According to the list, Buffett became the sixth richest person in the world. IS BUFFETT’S SUCCESS A COINCIDENCE? Buffett and his company Berkshire Hathaway had already been selling stocks for a while. The 94-year-old Buffett has divested $158 billion in stocks over the past two calendar years. Berkshire’s cash reserves, which were $110 billion in September 2022, rose to $321 billion by the end of 2024. Analysts noted that due to Buffett being a value investor, he could seize the recent downturns as opportunities.

During the recent declines, companies in which Berkshire has holdings – Apple, American Express, Bank of America, and Occidental Petroleum – had lost more than 9% in value.