Warren Buffett said that he personally initiated Berkshire Hathaway $BRK.B's investment in Google $GOOGL parent Alphabet, pushing back on any suggestion that new CEO Greg Abel was behind the trade. "I initiated it," Buffett told CNBC in an interview that aired Wednesday. "I am not doing anything that he doesn't approve of. He's not doing anything I don't approve of. We talk all the time, but he is the decider."
Berkshire's initial disclosure of an Google stake came in the third quarter of 2025, and the position has continued to grow since then, according to CNBC. Earlier this year, Berkshire also joined a $10 billion private placement by Google, with the proceeds earmarked for the company's artificial intelligence infrastructure build-out.
Despite holding the position, Buffett offered a measured assessment of Google's appeal relative to other Berkshire holdings. "I would say that I don't like it as well as at least four or five other businesses that we own," he said. His stated rationale for owning the stock centered on Berkshire's broader investment philosophy. "The trick in life is to find — I mean investing — is to find businesses that are going to earn high returns on capital for an extended period of time," he said.
Buffett identified the massive and open-ended spending demands of the AI race as a central concern for Google and the other companies caught up in it. "The real question with Google and all of its competitors now, because they're all laying out hundreds of billions, and that's real money," he said. "That's the game they're playing now. They weren't playing that game with computer software."
The remarks come as Berkshire navigates a leadership transition. Abel framed his first annual letter as CEO around continuity, emphasizing stewardship over reinvention and noting that Buffett remains chairman and in the office five days a week. Buffett's comments Wednesday reinforce that dynamic — Abel holds the title of decision-maker, but Buffett remains an active participant in capital allocation.
Turning to Apple $AAPL, Buffett said his enthusiasm for the stock has not dimmed despite news that Tim Cook intends to leave the CEO role, calling it still among the investments he prizes most. "I know more about Apple than I knew many years ago," Buffett said