Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK.A)(NYSE:BRK.B) CEO Warren Buffett may be taking some heat for underperforming the benchmark S&P 500 over the last decade, but there are few, if any, investors who can match his performance over the past 55 years. Through the end of 2019, Berkshire Hathaway’s per-share market value had increased by 2,744,062%, which compares pretty darn favorably to the S&P 500’s return of 19,784%, inclusive of dividends, over the same stretch.
What’s made Buffett such a successful investor over so many decades is his desire to buy great businesses with clear-cut competitive advantages, and to hang onto his investments for long periods of time.