Key facts
- Berkshire Hathaway indirectly owns approximately 0.04% of SpaceX.
- This indirect stake is worth over $800 million.
- The ownership is a result of Berkshire's investment in Alphabet, which holds a 4% stake in SpaceX.
- Elon Musk has publicly expressed a desire for Warren Buffett to invest in Tesla.
Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway has indirectly acquired a stake in Elon Musk's SpaceX, a development Musk has long desired. As of June 30, Berkshire Hathaway held an indirect ownership of approximately 0.04% in SpaceX, valued at over $800 million. This 'look-through stake' is a consequence of Berkshire's substantial investment in Alphabet, which itself owns about 4% of SpaceX. Berkshire reported its stake in Alphabet, valued at approximately $38 billion, in its second-quarter portfolio update. Alphabet's filing revealed its 4% ownership of SpaceX, worth around $94 billion. Consequently, Berkshire's portion of Alphabet's SpaceX holding amounted to roughly $815 million at the end of June, though market declines have since reduced this value. This indirect investment is a small fraction of Berkshire's total assets, which exceeded $1.3 trillion at the end of June. Musk has previously expressed his wish for Buffett to invest in Tesla, with multiple posts on X dating back to 2021 highlighting this desire. However, Buffett has historically favored investing in mature, predictable businesses and has instead backed Tesla's Chinese competitor, BYD. While Buffett stepped down as CEO, he remains chairman and largest shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway. Both Buffett and his late partner Charlie Munger have acknowledged Musk's ambition and dedication to tackling difficult challenges, though they have also playfully contrasted their investment styles. The indirect SpaceX investment is seen as an unavoidable outcome of Berkshire's Alphabet holdings rather than a direct endorsement of SpaceX.