Buffett Watch

Warren Buffett's Annual Stock Gifts to Charity Total $2.17 Billion This Year

Warren Buffett has completed his annual round of gifts to charity, distributing a total of 543,757 Berkshire Hathaway Class B shares worth $2.17 billion to five foundations.

It's part of his plan to give away the bulk of his fortune gradually over a number of years.

Most of the stock goes to the and we got details of this year's installment, most notably the exact date of the gift (July 1), in a filing last week by Gates.  (The number of shares to be given to each foundation has been laid out in a schedule by Buffett, so that part isn't a surprise.)

In an SEC filing last night, Buffett says that all his Class B stock gifts were made on July 1 this year, allowing us to calculate their dollar value as of that day's market close. 

Specifically:

  • 451,250 shares to the Gates Foundation - $1,804,548,750
  • 45,125 shares to the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation (the Buffett family foundation named for his late wife) - $180,454,875
  • 15,794 shares to the Susan A. Buffett Foundation (his daughter's foundation, now known as The Sherwood Foundation) - $63,160,206
  • 15,794 shares to the Howard G. Buffett Foundation (his son's foundation) - $63,160,206
  • 15,794 shares to the NoVo Foundation (the foundation run by his son Peter and daughter-in-law Jennifer) - $63,160,206

That leaves Buffett with 350,000 Class A shares (32.62% of shares outstanding) and 2,020,268 Class B shares (14.14% of shares outstanding), worth a total of $50,114,051,732 at the close on July 1.

Current Berkshire stock prices:

Class A:

Class B:

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