Warren Buffett Sells Entire BYD Stake After 17-Year Investment

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway has sold its entire stake in Chinese electric vehicle leader BYD, marking the end of a 17-year investment that generated billions in returns.

The investment firm marked the value of BYD stock as zero as of March 2025, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in May. BYD’s public relations team publicly thanked Berkshire Hathaway for its support over nearly two decades.

BYD investment history and market growth

Berkshire Hathaway first acquired a 10% stake in BYD in 2008, spending roughly $230 million when the stock was trading around HK$8 per share. The Omaha-based firm gradually reduced its holdings, starting in August 2022 with the sale of 1.33 million shares at HK$277 each.

BYD has grown significantly since Berkshire Hathaway’s initial investment in the Chinese company. The Asian automaker has surpassed Tesla in global sales last year, thanks to a broad lineup of affordable EVs and hybrid vehicles. Today, the company has a market capitalization exceeding HK$1 trillion in Hong Kong and 975 billion yuan ($137 billion) in Shenzhen.

Challenges ahead for BYD

BYD’s chairman and CEO, Wang Chuanfu, now ranks as China’s 11th richest person with a net worth of $24.4 billion. Despite its rapid growth, BYD faces hurdles in 2025.

Analysts widely expect the automaker to fall short of its 5.5 million global sales target amid stiff competition and regulatory concerns over discounting strategies that may contribute to deflationary pressures. Deutsche Bank forecasts that BYD will report global sales of about 4.7 million units. Meanwhile, Morningstar predicts BYD will report 4.8 million deliveries, marking continued growth but below expectations.

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