In Berkshire's fourth quarter 13-F, we learned that Buffett effectively pressed the sell button on the stock market (or at least on two funds that represent the market). While this is perhaps a dour warning from the Oracle of Omaha, there was a silver lining.

Warren Buffett is out of step with the markets. The S&P 500 returned 25% in 2024 and is up another 4% this year, but Berkshire Hathaway refuses to join the party and continues to be a net seller of stocks.

Fast forward half a century, Bill Ackman, the billionaire hedge fund manager behind Pershing Square Capital Management, is looking to replicate Buffett’s success by creating a “modern-day Berkshire Hathaway.