America’s Most Popular Billionaires in 2025

America’s wealthiest billionaires are now more than business leaders in 2025. They’re now media personalities, household names, and sometimes even political influencers.

Multiple recent polls and surveys confirm that Buffett enjoys the highest favorability ratings among U.S. billionaires, with 52% of Americans viewing him positively, more than any other billionaire in the country. This popularity is attributed to his reputation for sound investing, philanthropy, and a down-to-earth personal style.

Compared to other famous billionaires like Bill Gates and Elon Musk, their favorability ratings are lower, and their unfavorable ratings are higher. For example, 49% of Americans have a favorable view of Bill Gates while 43% see him unfavorably. In the case of Elon Musk, only 39% of Americans have a favorable opinion, whereas 55% have an unfavorable opinion.

Warren Buffett has made numerous iconic investments over his long career. Some of the most notable include:

• Apple: Buffett began investing in Apple in 2016, ultimately turning about $35–40 billion into over $150 billion at its peak, making it his most profitable investment ever.
• Coca-Cola: Berkshire Hathaway invested $1.3 billion in Coca-Cola in 1988. The stake, now about 9.3% of the company, is valued at over $25 billion and has provided decades of dividends.
• American Express: Buffett started buying American Express shares in the 1960s during a crisis. Berkshire now owns over 21% of the company, with the stake worth more than $42 billion.
• GEICO: Buffett began acquiring GEICO shares in the 1970s and completed the purchase of the entire company in 1996. GEICO is now a core part of Berkshire’s insurance operations.
• See’s Candies: Acquired in 1972 for $25 million, See’s Candies has generated over $1.7 billion in pre-tax earnings for Berkshire and taught Buffett the value of buying great businesses at fair prices.
• National Indemnity: Purchased in 1967, this insurance company provided the “float” that fueled many of Berkshire’s future investments and growth.
• BYD: Buffett invested $232 million in the Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD in 2008. The value of this stake soared to over $9 billion at its peak.
• Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF): In 2009, Berkshire acquired this major railroad, which has since become a key profit driver for the conglomerate.

These investments highlight Buffett’s strategy of buying strong, well-managed companies often during times of market pessimism and holding them for the long term.