The stock market can be a wild place. One day it’s going up and everyones happy. The next day it crashes and people lose tons of money. Right now in April 2025, the market is in a mess. Billionaires like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and others are losing billions of dollars because of a big crash. But there’s one man who’s not just surviving—he’s winning big. That man is Warren Buffett often called “Wall Streets old man.” While others are crying over their losses Buffett has made $13 billion. How did he do it?
Who Is Warren Buffett?
Warren Buffett is a 94 year old billionaire from Omaha Nebraska. He’s not like the flashy tech billionaires we see on TV. He’s quiet, smart and loves investing in companies. He runs a company called Berkshire Hathaway which owns parts of big businesses like Coca Cola, Apple and even railroads. People call him the “Oracle of Omaha” because he’s so good at predicting what will happen in the market. For years he’s been one of the richest people in the world, but he does not show off. He still lives in the same house he bought decades ago for just $31500.
Buffett’s way of making money is simple:- buy good companies when they are cheap and hold them for a long time. He does not chase quick profits or follow trends. While others panic he stays calm. And that’s exactly what helped him in this market crash.
The Market Crash of 2025
In early 2025 the stock market took a big hit. Reports say global markets lost $8 trillion in value. That’s a huge number. Why did this happen? One big reason is President Donald Trump’s new tariff policies. Tariffs are like taxes on goods coming into the country. Trump put high tariffs on imports from places like Canada, Mexico and China. This scared investors. They worried that prices would go up, companies would make less money and the economy would slow down. So they started selling their stocks and the market crashed.
Friday was a terrible day—$329 billion disappeared from the market in just one day. Billionaires like Elon Musk lost $100 billion, Jeff Bezos lost $45 billion and Mark Zuckerberg lost $28 billion. It was one of the worst days ever for the worlds richest people. But while everyone else was losing Warren Buffett was gaining.
How Buffett Made $13 Billion
So how did Buffett turn a crash into a win? The answer lies in what he did before the crash. In 2024 when the stock market was at its peak Buffett started selling stocks. He sold $134 billion worth of shares, including big chunks of Apple and Citigroup. Instead of keeping that money in stocks he turned it into cash. By the end of 2024 Berkshire Hathaway had a massive $334 billion in cash—almost double what it had the year before.
Why did he do this? Buffett saw that stocks were too expensive. He’s famous for something called the “Buffett Indicator” which compares the total value of stocks to the size of the economy. When it’s too high he thinks the market is overvalued and ready to fall. That’s what he saw in 2024. So he sold and waited.
When the crash came in 2025 Buffett didn’t lose much because he wasn’t holding many stocks. Instead his cash pile kept him safe. Plus Berkshire Hathaway’s stock actually went up a little—about 3%. People see it as a safe place to put money when everything else is falling. That boosted Buffett’s wealth by $12.7 billion this year taking his total to $155 billion. While other billionaires were sinking Buffett was rising.
Buffett’s Smart Moves
Buffett’s success is not just luck. He’s been doing this for decades.
- He Stays Calm: When others panic and sell low Buffett waits. He once said “Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful.” This crash proved that again.
- He Loves Cash: That $334 billion in cash isn’t just sitting there. Most of it’s in shortterm Treasury bills which are super safe and pay him interest. While stocks crash he’s earning money quietly.
- He Picks Winners: Buffett’s companies like CocaCola and Japanese trading houses are strong and steady. Even in a crash they don’t fall as much as tech stocks.
- He Plans Ahead: Buffett did not predict Trump’s tariffs exactly but he knew something bad could happen. Selling early was his way of staying ready.
What Can We Learn?
Buffett’s story teaches us some big lessons. First don’t follow the crowd. When everyone was buying stocks in 2024 he was selling. Second cash is king in tough times. Having money saved up can protect you when things go wrong. Third think longterm. Buffett doesn’t care about quick wins—he’s in it for years not days.
For regular people like us this doesn’t mean we should try to copy Buffett exactly. Most of us don’t have billions to play with. But we can be smart with our money. Don’t put everything in one place, save some cash and don’t panic when the market drops. Buffett shows that patience and planning beat fear and greed every time.
The Old Man Keeps Winning
At 94 Warren Buffett could retire and relax. But he’s still out there beating the market and teaching us all a thing or two. While billionaires lose billions he’s making $13 billion. His moves in this crash show why he’s a legend. He doesn’t just survive—he thrives.
So next time you hear about a market crash think of Wall Street’s old man. He’s probably sitting in Omaha sipping a Coke and smiling as his bank account grows. The rest of the world might be losing but Warren Buffett? He’s winning just like always.