What was Berkshire Hathaway's compound annual growth rate (CAGR) since 2020?

Berkshire Hathaway's CAGR from 2020 to September 2026 was 12.4% 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 2020?

The same $1,000 invested in an S&P 500 index fund in 2020 would be worth approximately $2,624.85 today. Berkshire Hathaway underperformed the S&P 500 by $425.32.

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

Sold today, the $1,199.53 gain would be a long-term capital gain for US federal tax. At the 15% rate most people pay, you'd keep about $2,019.60. At the top rate of 23.8% (20% plus the 3.8% net investment income tax) you'd keep about $1,914.04, 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 2020?

Adjusted for cumulative US inflation since 2020, the real purchasing-power value of the Berkshire Hathaway position is approximately $1,746.13 in 2020 dollars. Inflation shrinks the gain, but the investment still grew faster than prices.

How did Berkshire Hathaway perform in 2020?

Berkshire Hathaway was roughly flat during 2020, from $228.39 at the start of the year to $228.45 at the start of 2021.

What If You Invested $1,000 in Berkshire Hathaway in 2020?

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

$2,200

+$1,200 profit2.20x12.4% a year

The same $1,000 in an S&P 500 index fund: $2,625

Aftertax on the gain, you’d keep$2,020

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

$2,199.53

Total Profit

$1,199.53

Multiplier

2.20x

CAGR

12.4%

Max Drawdown

-24.3%

Inflation-Adjusted

$1,746.13

Benchmark Comparison

How does $1,000.00 invested in 2020 compare across different asset classes?

Asset	Value Today	Return
Berkshire Hathaway	$2,199.53	2.20x
S&P 500	$2,624.85	2.62x
Gold	$2,778.51	2.78x
Savings (2% APY)	$1,142.92	1.14x

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 2020

In August 2020, Berkshire disclosed stakes of slightly over 5% in five Japanese trading houses, including Itochu, Mitsubishi and Mitsui. sec.gov
In 2020, a gallon of gas averaged $2.17 and the new iPhone 12 Pro started at $999. eia.gov apple.com
During 2020 itself, Berkshire Hathaway rose 0.0%, #88 of the 103 investments we track. The best was Tesla (+747%); the worst was AMC Entertainment (−73%). Full 2020 results →

$1,000 in Berkshire Hathaway, year by year

Of the 103 investments we track that were available at the start of 2020, Berkshire Hathaway ranks #56 by growth to today — just behind Johnson & Johnson and ahead of Intel. See the full 2020 ranking →

Berkshire Hathaway started 2020 at its highest start-of-year price up to then, after rising 13% in 2019. It has been worth more than the $1,000 put in at every January since, and still is today. Today's $2,200 is more than it was worth at any January since. It rose in 6 of the 6 full years since. It fell behind the same $1,000 in the S&P 500 at the start of 2026 and hasn't caught up. Month by month, the deepest fall ran from Mar 2022 ($1,546) to Sep 2022 ($1,170), a drop of 24%. At its lowest month-end, in Jun 2020, it was worth $782.24.

When	Worth	Change	S&P 500
Start of 2020	$1,000	—	$1,000
Start of 2021	$1,000	+0.0%	$1,184
Start of 2022	$1,317	+32%	$1,524
Start of 2023	$1,357	+3.0%	$1,248
Start of 2024	$1,587	+17%	$1,576
Start of 2025	$1,975	+24%	$1,970
Start of 2026	$2,175	+10%	$2,322
Today	$2,200	+1.1%	$2,625

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 2020, Berkshire Hathaway was priced at $228.39 (adjusted for later splits and dividends). $1,000 would have bought about 4.38 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 2020 would be worth approximately $2,199.53 today — a 2.20x return ($1,199.53 profit) over 6.7 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 2020 (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 of2020 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.