Warren Buffett Surpasses Federal Reserve in Treasury Bill Holdings

As of August 3, 2024, Berkshire Hathaway owns 4% of all publicly issued T-Bills, significantly more than the Federal Reserve’s $195 billion.

Berkshire Hathaway’s second-quarter report, released on August 3, revealed that as of June 30, 2024, the company held $235 billion in short-term U.S. Treasury Bills, a sharp increase from the $130 billion held the previous quarter.

The total value of Berkshire’s cash, cash equivalents, and T-Bills amounted to $271.5 billion, with $237.6 billion in T-Bills alone.

In contrast, the Federal Reserve’s latest figures, as of July 31, 2024, show holdings of approximately $195.3 billion in T-Bills, which is notably less than Buffett’s current holdings.

Buffett has consistently praised Treasury Bills for their safety, despite their lower returns compared to riskier assets. With the Federal Reserve maintaining interest rates between 5.25% and 5.5%, returns on T-Bills have risen. Recent data shows a return rate of 5.21% for three-month T-Bills, 4.91% for six-month bills, and 4.43% for twelve-month notes.

Additionally, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has recently increased her T-Bill investments, purchasing an additional $250,000 in T-Bills in August, following a $500,000 investment made in late July, despite her stance against Congressional stock trading.