Warren Buffett at 94: The Relentless Discipline Behind Berkshire Hathaway’s 2024 Moves
From cutting Apple and Bank of America stakes to sitting on $300B in cash, Buffett’s 2024 playbook is a masterclass in patience and power.
Warren Buffett has been running money longer than most investors have been alive. At 94, the Berkshire Hathaway chief is still making moves that shake global markets, and he’s still doing it his way. No rush. No hype. Just discipline.
From the Streets of Omaha to the Top of the Market
Buffett grew up in the middle of the Great Depression, selling chewing gum and Coke bottles door to door. By the time most teenagers were buying records, he was filing tax returns and buying his first shares of Cities Service.
He didn’t stumble into investing. He studied under Benjamin Graham at Columbia, absorbing the cold math of value investing and the patience it demands. In 1965, when he took control of a dying textile business called Berkshire Hathaway, nobody thought it would become a $900 billion-plus juggernaut. That’s exactly what it is today.
Playing Offense by Sitting Still
2024 wasn’t the year of a big Buffett acquisition. It was the year of holding fire. Berkshire slashed its Apple stake by two-thirds, a move that rattled the world’s most valuable company. Then, in October, came the big surprise: Berkshire sold $10.5 billion worth of Bank of America stock, cutting its stake below 10 percent.
He wasn’t done. The Paramount Global bet? Gone. The U.S. banks? Trimmed. Japanese trading companies? Still there, still big. And while other investors chased every pop and dip, Buffett quietly stacked Berkshire’s cash reserves past $300 billion the largest cash hoard in its history.
Wall Street saw it as a warning. When Buffett sits on that much cash, he’s not finding enough deals worth doing. That says more about the market than any analyst note.
Remembering Charlie
The February shareholder letter was different this year. Charlie Munger, Buffett’s right-hand man and friend of 60 years, had passed in late 2023. Buffett’s tribute was personal but also pointed: the formula they built together still works. Buy great businesses. Ignore the noise. Let compounding do the heavy lifting.
That same letter hinted at what was coming. Buffett’s tone was cautious. He talked about valuations, discipline, and the risks of chasing momentum. Investors didn’t want to hear it. They should have.
No Free Passes
In October, Buffett did something unusual: he issued a public warning about impersonators. Scammers had been using his name to push fake endorsements. His message was short: he doesn’t back political candidates, and he doesn’t tell individuals what to buy. It was classic Buffett polite but blunt.
Then in late November, a surprise letter hit Berkshire’s website. No big financial announcement. Just a note of thanks to shareholders and employees, and a reminder that kindness is a serious business tool. Coming from a man who’s compounded billions, it landed differently.
The Market Is Overheated, and He Knows It
By October, the Buffett Indicator total U.S. market cap compared to GDP topped 200 percent. That’s historic bubble territory. Add in Buffett’s shrinking bank exposure and swollen cash position, and the message is clear without him having to spell it out: this isn’t the time to get reckless.
Apple’s stock wobbled after Berkshire’s stake cut, proving just how much weight his trades still carry. Meanwhile, his Japanese bets remain one of the few international plays he’s willing to keep on the board.
The Founder’s Code
Buffett’s leadership playbook hasn’t changed in decades: hire great managers, let them run their businesses, and keep a war chest ready for real opportunities. He still refuses to pay a dividend, insisting the best use of Berkshire’s cash is reinvesting it where returns can snowball.
This year he also spoke openly about estate planning. His advice to parents was direct make your will clear now, before it’s too late. It’s the same way he runs Berkshire: eliminate ambiguity, leave no room for misunderstanding.
Buffett has a line he’s repeated for years: adapt to reality because reality won’t adapt to you. That’s not just investing advice. It’s how he’s run his life.
The Last Word
In 2024, Buffett proved again that doing nothing is often the hardest and smartest move in business. While the rest of the market chases whatever’s flashing green, he’s content to wait. The man who built Berkshire from a failed textile mill into one of the most formidable holding companies in history still sees patience as his sharpest weapon.
For founders and operators, that’s the real takeaway: you don’t have to move fast if you move right.
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Ratnakar Upadhayay, known professionally as Ratnakar Mavilach, is an Indian businessman who is best known for coming up with the idea for Hinglishgram, the first content delivery platform in the world. His innovative endeavors range from launching Debonair Magazine back into the public sphere.
