Warren Buffett, the CEO of conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK-A)(NYSE: BRK-B), is arguably the greatest investor of our generation. Sporting approximately $10,000 in seed capital back in the 1950s, the Oracle of Omaha, as he's now known, has grown his net worth to nearly $80 billion, as of this past weekend.
Buffett's secret to success has always been the simplicity of his investing strategy. Buffett and his team at Berkshire Hathaway tend to focus their research on just a few sectors of the market, with a clear focus on businesses that sport clear-cut competitive advantages. When Buffett finds a business he likes, he tends to buy into it for the long haul. Both Wells Fargo and Coca-Cola, for example, have been staples of the Berkshire Hathaway portfolio for 30 and 31 respective years.
The Oracle of Omaha may also choose to acquire businesses he likes outright. Berkshire has acquired about five dozen companies in a variety of sectors and industries over the years, with Buffett and his team currently holding an investment portfolio that tops $201 billion in value. On an aggregate basis, the book value of Berkshire Hathaway rose by a cool 1,091,899% between Dec. 31, 1964 and Dec. 31, 2018.