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Warren Buffett has finally stepped into Google — twenty-one years after Larry Page and Sergey Brin publicly praised his investment philosophy in their IPO prospectus. Berkshire Hathaway disclosed late Friday that it now holds a $4.3 billion stake in Alphabet, marking one of the most significant technology positions Buffett has taken in recent years. The announcement immediately fueled market enthusiasm, pushing Alphabet’s stock up 3% on Monday and contributing to the company’s almost 50% year-to-date rally.

A Rare Tech Investment from Berkshire Hathaway
Berkshire’s new Alphabet stake is now the conglomerate’s tenth-largest equity position, putting it alongside the firm’s biggest long-term holdings. Although Berkshire is best known for its investments in banks, consumer goods, insurance and industrials, it has grown increasingly comfortable with selective tech exposure. Apple remains Berkshire’s largest position by far, valued at hundreds of billions.

But the move into Alphabet stands out. Historically, Buffett resisted buying high-growth technology companies, believing their competitive advantages were too difficult to predict. Even so, his team warmed up to tech over the last decade, first through Apple, then later through Amazon — a position initiated in 2019 and now worth around $2.2 billion. This Alphabet investment signals a broader willingness by Berkshire to own leading businesses shaping the future of artificial intelligence, cloud computing and digital infrastructure.

Why Buffett Regretted Missing Google Earlier
Buffett acknowledged as far back as 2017 that skipping Google was a mistake. GEICO, one of Berkshire’s crown jewels, was spending massive sums on Google advertising, giving Buffett a clear view of the search giant’s powerful business model. Despite this insight, he never purchased the stock — something he has openly said he wishes he had done.

This new investment appears to correct that oversight, arriving at a time when Alphabet is trading close to its all-time high and benefiting from explosive growth in AI services, cloud adoption and demand for its semiconductor innovations.

Alphabet’s Strong Fundamentals Behind the Investment
Alphabet is enjoying one of its strongest periods in years. After Monday’s jump, the stock is up 50% in 2025 and remains valued below many of its AI-focused peers. It trades at roughly 26 times expected earnings for next year — cheaper than Microsoft at 32, Nvidia at 42 and Broadcom at 51.

In the most recent quarter, Alphabet posted its first-ever $100 billion revenue period, driven heavily by Google Cloud. That division now holds a $155 billion customer backlog, showcasing deep enterprise trust in the company’s AI models, infrastructure and custom-built chips that are helping it stand apart from competitors. With the global AI market expanding at a projected CAGR of more than 35% through 2030, Alphabet’s positioning gives Berkshire a strong long-term growth engine.

A Full-Circle Moment: How Buffett Shaped Google’s Early Thinking
The investment carries a symbolic weight as well. When Google went public in 2004, its founders dedicated an entire portion of their prospectus to Buffett. Page and Brin titled their opening shareholder letter “An owner’s manual for Google’s shareholders,” referencing Buffett’s own “Owner’s Manual” for Berkshire investors.

They quoted him multiple times, including his warning against tailoring businesses to meet short-term expectations. Page and Brin used this argument to explain why they refused to “smooth” quarterly earnings — a philosophy Buffett has championed for decades. They also cited Berkshire’s dual-class share structure as inspiration for Google’s own governance model, which granted the founders long-term voting control.

Today, Page and Brin sit seventh and eighth on the Forbes billionaire list, with Buffett holding the sixth position — another reminder of how closely their legacies are intertwined.

Looking Ahead
Buffett, now 95 and preparing to step down as CEO at year-end, has once again demonstrated that his investing principles are flexible enough to evolve with the times. Greg Abel, his longstanding successor, is expected to continue Berkshire’s balanced approach — valuing durable moats, strong cash flow and disciplined management, but not shying away from transformative technology when the fundamentals justify it.

Berkshire’s $4.3 billion Alphabet stake marks a strategic alignment between two of the most influential forces in American business. For Google, it is a validation of decades-long discipline. For Buffett, it is a return to a company that once looked up to him — now embraced as one of his newest long-term partners.