What was Berkshire Hathaway's compound annual growth rate (CAGR) since 2017?

Berkshire Hathaway's CAGR from 2017 to September 2026 was 12.2% per year. For comparison, the S&P 500 has historically averaged around 10% annually. Berkshire Hathaway significantly outperformed traditional equity markets on an annualized basis.

How does Berkshire Hathaway compare to the S&P 500 since 2017?

The same $1,000 invested in an S&P 500 index fund in 2017 would be worth approximately $4,020.45 today. Berkshire Hathaway underperformed the S&P 500 by $954.16.

How much of the Berkshire Hathaway gain would you keep after taxes?

Sold today, the $2,066.29 gain would be a long-term capital gain for US federal tax. At the 15% rate most people pay, you'd keep about $2,756.34. At the top rate of 23.8% (20% plus the 3.8% net investment income tax) you'd keep about $2,574.51, and lower incomes pay 0%. State tax is extra, and gains inside a Roth IRA aren't taxed.

What is the inflation-adjusted return on $1,000 in Berkshire Hathaway since 2017?

Adjusted for cumulative US inflation since 2017, the real purchasing-power value of the Berkshire Hathaway position is approximately $2,305.36 in 2017 dollars. Inflation shrinks the gain, but the investment still grew faster than prices.

How did Berkshire Hathaway perform in 2017?

Berkshire Hathaway rose 20% during 2017, from $163.83 at the start of the year to $197.22 at the start of 2018.

What If You Invested $1,000 in Berkshire Hathaway in 2017?

Q: Did Berkshire Hathaway pay dividends?

No. Berkshire Hathaway paid no dividends over this period, so the whole return came from its share price.

Try your own numbers

If I had putintoat the start of…

it would be worth today

$3,066

+$2,066 profit3.07x12.2% a year

The same $1,000 in an S&P 500 index fund: $4,020

Aftertax on the gain, you’d keep$2,756

US federal long-term rates: 15% for most people, 0% on lower incomes, 20% + 3.8% on high incomes. No state tax included; none inside a Roth IRA.

Compare with

Growth Over Time

Performance Metrics

Total Invested

$1,000.00

Current Value

$3,066.29

Total Profit

$2,066.29

Multiplier

3.07x

CAGR

12.2%

Max Drawdown

-24.3%

Inflation-Adjusted

$2,305.36

Benchmark Comparison

How does $1,000.00 invested in 2017 compare across different asset classes?

Asset	Value Today	Return
Berkshire Hathaway	$3,066.29	3.07x
S&P 500	$4,020.45	4.02x
Gold	$3,662.03	3.66x
Savings (2% APY)	$1,212.83	1.21x

Dividends

Berkshire Hathaway paid no dividends over this period, so the whole return came from its share price.

Dividends from Yahoo Finance. Shares today assume every dividend was reinvested.

Back in 2017

In July 2017, Berkshire Hathaway Energy agreed to acquire the parent of Oncor, an energy delivery company serving about 10 million Texans. sec.gov
In 2017, a gallon of gas averaged $2.42, a movie ticket averaged $8.97 and the new iPhone X started at $999. eia.gov apple.com deadline.com
During 2017 itself, Berkshire Hathaway rose 20%, #59 of the 87 investments we track. The best was XRP (+36,408%); the worst was AMC Entertainment (−54%). Full 2017 results →

$1,000 in Berkshire Hathaway, year by year

Of the 87 investments we track that were available at the start of 2017, Berkshire Hathaway ranks #55 by growth to today — just behind Dow Jones ETF (DIA) and ahead of Bank of America. See the full 2017 ranking →

Berkshire Hathaway started 2017 at its highest start-of-year price up to then, after rising 25% in 2016. It has been worth more than the $1,000 put in at every January since, and still is today. Today's $3,066 is more than it was worth at any January since. It rose in 9 of the 9 full years since. It fell behind the same $1,000 in the S&P 500 at the start of 2020 and hasn't caught up. Month by month, the deepest fall ran from Mar 2022 ($2,156) to Sep 2022 ($1,631), a drop of 24%.

When	Worth	Change	S&P 500
Start of 2017	$1,000	—	$1,000
Start of 2018	$1,204	+20%	$1,218
Start of 2019	$1,238	+2.8%	$1,165
Start of 2020	$1,394	+13%	$1,532
Start of 2021	$1,394	+0.0%	$1,814
Start of 2022	$1,836	+32%	$2,334
Start of 2023	$1,892	+3.0%	$1,911
Start of 2024	$2,212	+17%	$2,414
Start of 2025	$2,753	+24%	$3,018
Start of 2026	$3,033	+10%	$3,557
Today	$3,066	+1.1%	$4,020

Values at the start of each year (first trading day for stocks). The S&P 500 column includes reinvested dividends, like the stock values.

Historical Context

At the start of 2017, Berkshire Hathaway was priced at $163.83 (adjusted for later splits and dividends). $1,000 would have bought about 6.10 shares. Berkshire Hathaway is Warren Buffett's holding company, owning businesses such as GEICO and BNSF Railway plus a large stock portfolio. This page uses its Class B shares.

Measured from one January to the next, Berkshire Hathaway's best year since then was 2021 (+32%) and its weakest was 2020 (+0.0%).

Frequently Asked Questions

A $1,000 investment in Berkshire Hathaway at the start of 2017 would be worth approximately $3,066.29 today — a 3.07x return ($2,066.29 profit) over 9.7 years.

Methodology & Sources

Price data: Historical prices are the closing price on the first trading day of each year, adjusted for splits and dividends (so returns assume dividends were reinvested), from Yahoo Finance and MacroTrends. Current prices come from Yahoo Finance and refresh hourly; if that source is unavailable, the last saved price is used.

Calculation: Assumes a single purchase at the start of 2017 (or the first trading day, for companies that listed that year), held until today. No transaction fees, taxes, or slippage are included.

Benchmarks: The S&P 500 comparison uses the S&P 500 Total Return index (dividends reinvested, like an index fund) at the start of2017 and today. Gold uses the price per troy ounce. Savings account assumes a 2% APY compounded annually.

Inflation adjustment: Uses U.S. CPI-U annual averages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 2026 CPI value is estimated.

Educational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Not financial advice.