Story perspectives

Berkshire Boosts Alphabet Stake to 106 Million Shares

8/17/2026

Summary

Story summary

Berkshire Hathaway raised its Alphabet stake to 106 million shares worth $37.9 billion, an 83% rise in Q2 2026.
The holding became Berkshire’s third-largest equity position, after Apple and American Express.
Berkshire funded it with a $10 billion private-placement in early June and 19.6 million open-market shares for Alphabet’s AI infrastructure.
It spent $23.5 billion buying stocks and sold $3.7 billion under CEO Greg Abel, its first net equity purchase in 14 quarters and the strongest since 2022.

History

Historical Context

After Warren Buffett’s 1998 $1.02 billion Coca-Cola stake and the 2016 $1 billion Apple purchase, Berkshire Hathaway—now led by CEO Greg Abel following Buffett’s 2025 succession—expanded into high-growth tech by acquiring a multi-billion-dollar position in Alphabet in 2026, continuing a decades-long shift from consumer staples to technology assets and signaling confidence in AI-driven firms.

1 of 2

Story summary

Berkshire Hathaway raised its Alphabet stake to 106 million shares worth $37.9 billion, an 83% rise in Q2 2026.
The holding became Berkshire’s third-largest equity position, after Apple and American Express.
Berkshire funded it with a $10 billion private-placement in early June and 19.6 million open-market shares for Alphabet’s AI infrastructure.
It spent $23.5 billion buying stocks and sold $3.7 billion under CEO Greg Abel, its first net equity purchase in 14 quarters and the strongest since 2022.

1 / 2