#8 on the list

Warren Buffett

Builder of Berkshire Hathaway

Medium confidence

Career VDS

$903B

Live $903B

Transformed Berkshire Hathaway into a diversified conglomerate. Stepped down as CEO at end of 2025; remains a major owner. High retained ownership produces a lower externalization ratio than many product founders.

Retained stake (live)

$147B

Value still held across live credited companies

Externalization (live)

86.0%

Live VDS ÷ live company value

Retention (live)

14.0%

Live stake ÷ live company value

Live companies

Company	Value	Ownership	Stake	Weight	VDS	Source
Berkshire HathawayBRK.B	$1.1T	14.0%	$147B	1	$903B	Cap: Public market estimate ≈ $1.05T combined Class A/B (Jul 2026) Own: Long-running economic ownership estimates ~14% class A equivalent; voting power higher; gifts to foundations have reduced stake over time As of Jul 14, 2026

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