The headline is real, but it is historical—not a new 2026 transaction. Berkshire Hathaway sold approximately 115 million Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) shares during the first quarter of 2024. The shares belonged to Berkshire’s corporate investment portfolio, not Warren Buffett’s personal brokerage account.
The sale reduced Berkshire’s Apple holding from roughly 905 million shares at the end of 2023 to about 790 million shares on March 31, 2024. Berkshire then sold approximately 390 million additional shares in the second quarter, leaving roughly 400 million shares at June 30, 2024.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Did Berkshire Hathaway really sell 115 million Apple shares?
Yes—approximately. Berkshire’s first-quarter 2024 results covered the quarter ended March 31, 2024, and the sale became public around its May 4 annual meeting. Berkshire filed its related Form 10-Q with the SEC on May 6, 2024.
The frequently cited 115-million figure is an estimate based on disclosed holdings and portfolio data. It should not be treated as an exact trade-by-trade figure because Berkshire’s public filings do not provide a complete execution blotter.
#1 Best Overall
- Comes with secure packaging
- Easy to read text
- It can be a gift option
The numbers behind the first-quarter sale
| Measure | Approximate figure |
|---|---|
| Apple shares held at Dec. 31, 2023 | 905 million |
| Shares sold in Q1 2024 | 115 million |
| Reduction in the position | 13% |
| Shares held at March 31, 2024 | 790 million |
| Apple stake value at Dec. 31, 2023 | $174.3 billion |
| Apple stake value at March 31, 2024 | $135.4 billion |
The difference in the stake’s reported dollar value should not be attributed entirely to selling. Apple’s share price also declined during the quarter, so the value of Berkshire’s remaining shares moved independently of the number of shares sold. The first-quarter sale itself was estimated at roughly $20 billion, depending on execution prices.
It was Berkshire’s sale, not Buffett’s personal trade
“Warren Buffett sold 115 million shares” is convenient shorthand, but it is imprecise. Berkshire Hathaway owned the shares. Buffett was the company’s chairman and chief executive, while Berkshire’s investment decisions also involved managers Todd Combs and Ted Weschler.
A more accurate description is: Berkshire Hathaway, led by Warren Buffett, sold approximately 115 million Apple shares. That distinction matters because Berkshire’s tax position, investment mandate, liquidity needs and portfolio construction are different from those of an individual investor.
Recommended Free Tools
Rank #2
- Ideal for Gifting
- Ideal for a bookworm
- Comes with Proper Binding
Why did Berkshire sell Apple?
Buffett discussed the possibility that future tax rates on realized investment gains could be higher. He indicated that realizing gains while the federal corporate tax rate was 21% could prove sensible if the government later claimed a larger share.
That was a stated or strongly indicated rationale, not proof that taxes were the only reason. Berkshire did not publish a transaction memo identifying a single cause. Other reasonable interpretations include:
- Concentration control: Apple had become an unusually large part of Berkshire’s publicly traded equity portfolio.
- Tax timing: Berkshire may have preferred to realize gains under then-current rates rather than risk higher rates later.
- Valuation and opportunity cost: After Apple’s substantial appreciation, Berkshire may have viewed other uses of capital as relatively more attractive.
- Liquidity: Berkshire has historically maintained a very large cash reserve and was reducing its net equity exposure during this period.
Only the tax discussion is directly attributable to Buffett. The other explanations are analytical possibilities, not confirmed statements of Berkshire’s internal reasoning.
Did Buffett lose confidence in Apple?
The first-quarter sale did not establish that Buffett had rejected Apple’s business. At Berkshire’s May 2024 meeting, he continued to speak favorably about Apple’s economics and said it was extremely likely to remain Berkshire’s largest common-stock holding at year-end.
That does not mean the sale was insignificant. A company can remain excellent while becoming too large a portfolio weight, too expensive relative to alternatives or too exposed to a single-stock risk. Selling shares is not necessarily the same as selling the underlying investment thesis.
The much larger sale came in the second quarter
Stopping the story at 115 million shares gives an incomplete picture. Berkshire sold approximately 390 million additional Apple shares during the second quarter of 2024, according to its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2024.
Across the first half of 2024, Berkshire therefore sold roughly 505 million Apple shares and reduced its holding to approximately 400 million shares at June 30. That meant Berkshire had cut the position by more than half from its year-end 2023 level—but it had not exited Apple.
The later sale makes the overall decision look more consequential than a routine quarterly trim. Even so, the available evidence does not support the simplistic conclusion that Buffett suddenly believed Apple was a bad business.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Cash accumulation provided broader context
The Apple sales occurred while Berkshire was accumulating cash and reducing its overall net equity exposure. By June 30, 2024, Berkshire’s cash, cash equivalents and U.S. Treasury bills had risen to approximately $276.9 billion.
Best Value
That context is useful, but it does not prove that Apple sales alone caused the cash increase. Berkshire also sold other investments and generated cash through its operating businesses. Nor does a large cash balance automatically mean Buffett was making a precise forecast about an impending market decline.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Should investors follow Buffett’s Apple decision?
Not automatically. Berkshire’s transaction is worth studying, but copying it mechanically can be a mistake.
- The disclosure was delayed. Investors learned about the first-quarter activity after March 31, when the transactions had already occurred. A quarterly portfolio disclosure is not real-time trade information.
- Your taxes are different. Berkshire’s corporate tax considerations do not necessarily apply to an individual holding Apple in a taxable brokerage account, retirement account or different country.
- Your portfolio is different. Berkshire can hold hundreds of billions of dollars in cash and has a very different risk budget, time horizon and liquidity profile.
- Apple’s business and stock are separate questions. A strong company can be reduced because of concentration, valuation or tax planning even when management remains positive about its long-term prospects.
- One investor’s sale is not a price forecast. Berkshire’s decision does not establish where Apple’s shares will trade next.
Investors researching Berkshire’s holdings should start with the free SEC EDGAR database and Berkshire’s shareholder-relations filings. Remember that Form 13F and other portfolio disclosures are delayed and do not reveal the exact timing or price of every transaction.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →What the 2026 headline gets wrong
As of August 2026, the 115-million-share figure should be described as a Q1 2024 historical transaction. It should not be presented as a newly verified sale or as Berkshire’s current Apple position. Any article claiming to describe Berkshire’s current AAPL holdings would require separate review of the latest company filings.
Quick Recap
The precise takeaway is therefore:
- Berkshire sold approximately 115 million Apple shares in Q1 2024.
- The sale represented about 13% of its Apple position at the time.
- Buffett cited the possibility of higher future taxes as an important consideration.
- His comments did not amount to a rejection of Apple’s business.
- Berkshire sold approximately 390 million more shares in Q2 2024.
- The June 30, 2024 holding was approximately 400 million shares—not zero.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
