Concerns over trade wars in the global economy are escalating. Escapes from risky assets accelerated following Trump’s statements. The wealth of the world’s richest individuals has declined. The only name increasing their wealth since the beginning of the year is Warren Buffett. Buffett’s success in his long-term share sales is not considered a coincidence.

Global markets have just passed through one of their toughest weeks. The aggressive trade policy of US President Donald Trump brought selling pressure to the markets. The US stock market lost $6 trillion in just 2 days. Major companies saw double-digit losses in their shares. Billions’ wealth eroded over the past week. The accumulative wealth of the world’s richest 500 individuals decreased by $208 billion. Following Trump’s statement, the largest losses were experienced by Meta’s founder Mark Zuckerberg at $18 billion. He was followed by Jeff Bezos at $16 billion, and Elon Musk at $11 billion. THIS YEAR, ONLY THE OMAHA PROPHET WON According to Bloomberg Billionaires Index data, the fortunes of billionaire names suffered a significant drop in 2025. Elon Musk experienced the largest 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 to increase their wealth in the top 10 of the list this year was the renowned 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 have been selling shares for some time now. The 94-year-old Buffett disposed of a net $158 billion worth of shares in the last two calendar years. Berkshire’s cash holdings, 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 turn the recent declines into an opportunity. During the recent downturns, companies in which Berkshire holds shares, such as Apple, American Express, Bank of America, and Occidental Petroleum, lost more than 9% of their value.