Buffett donates his highest annual donation of $5.3 billion, stating that his children will manage 99% of the inheritance

On Friday, June 28th, Eastern Time, Warren Buffett, known as the "Stock God," completed his largest annual charity donation to date, donating $5.3 billion worth of Berkshire Hathaway stock to five charitable organizations.

As he approaches his 94th birthday in August, Buffett converted his 8,674 shares of Berkshire Class A stock into over 13 million shares of Class B stock for donation. Approximately 9.93 million shares were donated to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, while the remaining shares were divided among the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation named after his late first wife, and charitable organizations led by his three children Howard, Susan, and Peter Buffett.

After the donation, Buffett still holds 207,963 shares of Berkshire Class A stock and 2,586 shares of Class B stock, with a total market value of approximately $130 billion. Since 1965, Buffett, who has been in charge of Berkshire Hathaway, has pledged to use his accumulated wealth in the company for charitable purposes. Since 2006, Buffett has been donating to these five charitable organizations annually.

His three children are trustees of the charitable trust inheriting over 99% of his wealth

Buffett has explicitly stated in media interviews that after his passing, the substantial wealth he has accumulated from building Berkshire Hathaway will be donated to a new charitable trust overseen by his three children. He said:

"This wealth should be used to help those who are not as fortunate as us. There are 8 billion people in the world, and my children and I belong to the luckiest 0.01%. We have many ways to help those in need."

Buffett has previously made it clear that his three children will serve as executors of his will and also as trustees of the charitable trust inheriting over 99% of his wealth. Buffett also mentioned that after his passing, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will no longer receive his donations. This decision was made in June 2021, during the divorce of the Gates couple, after Buffett resigned as a trustee of the Gates Foundation.

Will to be made public after death, accessible to anyone

At Berkshire's annual shareholder meeting in May, Buffett outlined the future of the company after he steps down from leadership. Reflecting on his old age and remembering his late friend and business partner Charlie Munger, Buffett appeared particularly serious. Greg Abel, Vice Chairman responsible for non-insurance operations at Berkshire, has been designated as Buffett's successor and has taken over most of the corporate responsibilities.

Buffett has stated that his will be made public after his death to ensure transparency. In a statement in November, he emphasized:

"After I pass away, the distribution of my assets will be completely transparent, without any complex trust arrangements or overseas entities to evade public scrutiny. Instead, my will be a simple document that anyone can access at the Douglas County Court." The analysis pointed out that this approach demonstrates Buffett's commitment to transparency and simplicity, avoiding the suspicions and controversies that complex legal structures may bring