does berkshire hathaway own microsoft stock

This article answers “does berkshire hathaway own microsoft stock” by summarizing Berkshire’s historical stance, Buffett’s reasoning, how to verify current holdings with SEC 13F and Berkshire discl...

2026-01-20 07:20:00

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Does Berkshire Hathaway own Microsoft stock?

This article explains whether does berkshire hathaway own microsoft stock, covering Berkshire Hathaway’s historical and current relationship with Microsoft (MSFT), Warren Buffett’s public rationale, how to verify ownership using regulatory filings and company disclosures, and ways investors might have indirect exposure to Microsoft. Read on to get practical verification steps and a timeline to track changes.

Quick answer (summary of ownership status)

Short answer: As of January 22, 2026, based on Berkshire Hathaway’s most recently available public disclosures and SEC Form 13F filings, there was no evidence that Berkshire held a large, long-term, consolidated position in Microsoft stock. Readers should verify the latest 13F and Berkshire reports because holdings can change each quarter.
Framing the question: does berkshire hathaway own microsoft stock? Historically, Berkshire generally did not hold Microsoft as a centerpiece of its long-term equity portfolio under Warren Buffett, though indirect and fleeting appearances in filings have occurred for other tech names.

Background

Berkshire Hathaway — investment approach

Berkshire Hathaway operates as a long-term holding company. Its core investment approach is concentrated, long-duration ownership of businesses and public equities that the managers (historically Warren Buffett and his deputies) understand well.

Berkshire reports public U.S. equity holdings through SEC Form 13F each quarter and details strategic holdings in its annual shareholder letter and financial statements. Those sources are primary for verifying whether Berkshire owns shares of any public company, including Microsoft.

Microsoft Corporation — company overview

Microsoft (ticker: MSFT) is a large-cap technology company with diversified businesses: cloud services, productivity software, operating systems, gaming, and professional networking. Microsoft’s scale, profits, recurring revenue, and dividends make it a common candidate for institutional investors.

Because of Microsoft’s large market capitalization and steady cash flow, many long-term value investors consider MSFT a candidate for portfolio allocation — which raises the question: does berkshire hathaway own microsoft stock?

Historical relationship between Berkshire Hathaway and Microsoft

Buffett’s public comments and rationale

Warren Buffett has discussed technology companies and Microsoft in many public appearances. Common themes in his comments include:

An admission that Berkshire historically avoided many technology names because they were outside Buffett’s circle of deep familiarity and predictable cash-generation models.
A noted personal and professional relationship with Bill Gates that Buffett has said complicated the optics of buying Microsoft shares in large size for Berkshire.
Recognition that Berkshire missed several big tech winners while sticking to its investment principles.

These points appear repeatedly in interviews and annual shareholder meetings where Buffett addressed why certain tech names, including Microsoft, were not long-standing holdings of Berkshire — which feeds directly into the question: does berkshire hathaway own microsoft stock?

Record of purchases or absence thereof

Public records (SEC Form 13F filings and Berkshire’s own disclosures) have historically shown that Berkshire did not report Microsoft as a major, long-term stake comparable to Berkshire’s large holdings in companies like Apple, Coca-Cola, or American Express.

Occasionally, institutional filings may show small or transient positions related to option strategies, manager activity, or pooled fund vehicles. Any such fleeting appearance should be interpreted carefully and verified against Berkshire’s official reporting.

As of January 22, 2026, the most recently filed public documents reviewed did not show Berkshire owning Microsoft as a significant, long-term stake. Remember that 13F filings lag by up to 45 days after quarter end and only capture certain U.S.-listed equity positions.

Reasons cited for (not) owning Microsoft stock

Conflict/appearance concerns (relationship with Bill Gates)

One of the most frequently cited reasons in media and Buffett’s own remarks is the relationship with Bill Gates and its effect on investor optics. Buffett has said that owning a very large stake in Microsoft could raise questions about conflict of interest or create unusual perceptions given his personal ties to Gates.

That concern has historically been described as one factor — alongside investment discipline — explaining why Berkshire did not establish a large, visible Microsoft position for many years.

Investment style and sector familiarity

Buffett’s investment style emphasizes businesses with simple, predictable economics and durable competitive advantages that management and owners can easily evaluate. For much of his career, Buffett described many technology businesses as harder to predict, which reduced Berkshire’s willingness to make very large bets in that sector.

This approach explains why Berkshire favored companies in consumer goods, insurance, finance, and more recently selected technology exposure through firms that matched Berkshire’s valuation and durability criteria.

Valuation and portfolio fit

Berkshire manages a very large capital base and prefers a handful of sizable positions that meet strict valuation and return-on-capital objectives. Even if Microsoft is attractive on fundamentals, Berkshire’s decision would depend on whether MSFT fits into Berkshire’s overall allocation priorities and whether a large purchase would be accretive.

Valuation timing and the opportunity cost of deploying capital into MSFT relative to other Berkshire priorities often influenced Berkshire’s stance on whether to own Microsoft stock.

Indirect exposures to Microsoft

Holdings in funds or other vehicles

Even if Berkshire itself does not hold Microsoft stock directly, Berkshire shareholders and affiliates can have MSFT exposure through ETFs, mutual funds, or other pooled vehicles used by fiduciaries or individual investors.

Note: To check whether Berkshire-affiliated investment vehicles or managers have indirect exposure, review those vehicles’ public disclosures. This is distinct from Berkshire Hathaway’s consolidated holdings.

Bill Gates / Gates Foundation and other related ownership

Bill Gates and entities associated with him (for example, philanthropic foundations) have historically held Microsoft shares separately from Berkshire. Such holdings are independent of Berkshire and should not be conflated with Berkshire’s portfolio when answering does berkshire hathaway own microsoft stock.

How to verify current ownership (regulatory & media sources)

This section gives specific steps to check whether Berkshire owns Microsoft stock at any point in time.

SEC Form 13F filings

What 13F is: Institutional investment managers with at least $100 million in qualifying assets must file Form 13F each quarter, listing U.S.-listed equity positions.
How to use 13F: To verify whether Berkshire reported Microsoft, obtain the latest Berkshire Hathaway 13F (filed by the entity that files on behalf of Berkshire’s investment managers). Search the filings for Microsoft (MSFT) and check the reported share counts and market values.
Caveats: 13F filings disclose positions as of quarter-end and are filed with a lag (up to 45 days after quarter end). They do not show short positions, options sold for hedging, or holdings in foreign shares not reported on the 13F.

Berkshire Hathaway shareholder reports, annual letters, and press releases

Berkshire’s annual letter (written by Warren Buffett) often calls out major holdings, strategic changes, and rationale for significant decisions. The consolidated financial statements and notes can also disclose equity investments in public companies.
For the most authoritative confirmation of whether Berkshire owns Microsoft stock as a core holding, check Berkshire’s publicly filed annual or quarterly reports and investor communications.

Financial-news trackers and databases

Financial news outlets and portfolio trackers can provide timely summaries of institutional positions. Examples include media coverage from mainstream business outlets and institutional-ownership pages on financial data providers.
Caution: These third-party trackers rely on 13F and other public filings and therefore inherit the same lag and reporting caveats. Always verify with the primary filing when precision matters.

As of January 22, 2026, a review of the most recent 13F and Berkshire disclosures did not indicate a material Microsoft stake in Berkshire’s consolidated public equity portfolio.

Notable commentary and coverage

Media explanations for Berkshire’s stance

Major financial outlets have repeatedly asked variations of the question does berkshire hathaway own microsoft stock? Coverage commonly highlights three themes:

Buffett’s long-standing caution toward many technology stocks.
The personal/professional relationship between Buffett and Gates that complicated ownership optics.
Subsequent recognition from Buffett that Berkshire missed some major gains in tech.

These narrative threads appear across interviews, annual meeting commentary, and explainers by financial journalists.

Analysts’ perspectives

Some analysts and investors have speculated whether Berkshire might change course and buy Microsoft if valuation or strategic fit improved. Others argue that Berkshire’s size, capital allocation discipline, and historical preferences make very large technology purchases less probable unless the price and business clarity align tightly with Berkshire’s standards.

Analysts’ views are interpretive; always cross-check any analyst claim with Berkshire’s filings for factual confirmation.

Recent developments and timeline (how this can change)

Holdings can change quickly. Berkshire’s ownership status in Microsoft can materially change for reasons such as:

Portfolio managers deciding to allocate capital to Microsoft.
Sales or purchases made during the reporting quarter that appear in the next 13F filing.
Structural changes (for example, if Berkshire redeploys capital from other positions into technology names).

To keep the “does berkshire hathaway own microsoft stock” answer current, update the timeline after each quarter’s 13F filing and after Berkshire’s annual meeting disclosures.

Suggested update routine:

Check SEC EDGAR for Berkshire Hathaway 13F within 45 days after quarter-end.
Read Berkshire’s annual shareholder letter (released each spring) and periodic filings.
Review major business media summaries for immediate context; verify with source filings.

References and data sources

SEC Form 13F filings for Berkshire Hathaway (quarterly filings reviewed up to the most recent quarter available). Source: SEC EDGAR filings. As of January 22, 2026, the latest available 13F was checked.
Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholder letters and financial statements (primary company disclosures). As of January 22, 2026, Berkshire’s latest annual letter and updated shareholder communications were reviewed.
Selected media coverage and interviews summarizing Buffett’s public comments and rationale (examples include coverage from CNBC, Motley Fool, Nasdaq explainers, and Investopedia-style explainers). For timeliness: examples of reporting cited in discussion include a CNBC discussion at a Berkshire annual meeting (May 2019), a Motley Fool explainer on Buffett’s stance (June 2020), and Nasdaq commentary (September 2018). These pieces provide context on Buffett’s past comments and media narratives; always verify holdings with SEC/ Berkshire filings.
Note on dates and verification: institutional and media sources have reporting lags. The primary source for confirming whether Berkshire owns Microsoft stock is Berkshire’s own filings and the SEC 13F filings filed by the reporting entity.

Practical checklist: how you can confirm today

Obtain Berkshire Hathaway’s latest 13F filing from SEC EDGAR (check filings for MSFT).
Read Berkshire’s most recent annual report/shareholder letter for explicit mention of Microsoft.
Compare third-party portfolio trackers with the 13F to understand timing differences.
For indirect exposure, check holdings of any related funds or foundations (e.g., statements from the Gates Foundation) separately.

Important caveats and reader guidance

Reporting lag: 13F and company filings are delayed and reflect quarter-end positions, not intraday trades.
13F scope: 13F filings cover long positions in U.S.-listed equities but exclude certain instruments (some options, foreign listings, short positions, and private holdings).
Optical relationships: Even if Berkshire were to buy Microsoft, disclosures would reflect a filing and Berkshire commentary; prior personal ties are distinct from legal ownership.
No investment advice: This article is informational and neutral. It explains how to verify whether does berkshire hathaway own microsoft stock using public records; it is not investment advice.