Additional Coverage:
- Warren Buffett’s company invests in The New York Times 6 years after he sold all his newspapers (pbs.org)
OMAHA, Neb. – In a move that has raised eyebrows across the financial world, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway has revealed a new $350 million investment in The New York Times. This significant stake comes six years after Buffett famously divested from all of Berkshire’s newspaper holdings, predicting a bleak future for most of the industry.
The somewhat unexpected investment was disclosed in Berkshire’s latest quarterly filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, detailing the company’s stock holdings during Buffett’s final quarter as CEO. While Buffett had previously suggested that national news brands like The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal might defy the industry’s struggles, this direct investment marks a notable shift.
“It’s a full circle moment for Berkshire Hathaway in reinvesting in news and a huge vote of confidence by Berkshire in the business strategy of The New York Times,” commented Tim Franklin, a professor and chair of local news at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.
It remains unclear whether Buffett himself orchestrated this particular investment, as he typically handled holdings exceeding $1 billion. However, given Buffett’s renowned track record before handing the CEO reins to Greg Abel in January, many investors are likely to follow suit. The New York Times shares saw a nearly 3% jump in after-hours trading following the disclosure.
Beyond the Times, Berkshire also augmented its position in Chevron, acquiring approximately 8 million additional shares, bringing its total to over 130 million in the oil giant. This proved to be a remarkably prescient move, as Chevron’s stock surged following President Donald Trump’s order for the arrest of Venezuela’s president.
Buffett has long been a proponent of the oil business, with Berkshire holding substantial investments in both Chevron and Occidental Petroleum for several years. Chevron, the sole major American oil company with significant operations in Venezuela, produces an estimated 250,000 barrels daily through joint ventures with the state-owned Petróleos de Venezuela S.A.
(PDVSA). Chevron’s stock has climbed nearly 19% since the beginning of 2026, coinciding with the U.S. operation to capture Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro.
Other notable adjustments in the final three months of 2025 included the sale of roughly 50 million Bank of America shares, though Berkshire still maintains nearly 81 million shares of the bank, an investment initiated in 2011 during the subprime mortgage crisis. Additionally, Berkshire trimmed about 10 million shares from its substantial Apple stake, yet still held nearly 228 million shares at the close of last year.
Beyond its stock portfolio, Berkshire Hathaway wholly owns a diverse range of companies, including insurance titans like Geico, a collection of major utilities, BNSF railroad, and numerous manufacturing and retail companies such as Dairy Queen and See’s Candy.