Warren Buffett is dialing back his favorite investment, selling a chunk of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) stock while praising CEO Tim Cook and amassing the largest cash hoard in Berkshire Hathaway's history.

Buffett Cuts $4 Billion Apple Stake But Keeps It As Berkshire's Largest Holding

In its latest regulatory filing, Berkshire disclosed it sold about 20 million Apple shares in the second quarter of 2025, a stake worth roughly $4 billion at current prices. 

The move reduces Berkshire's holdings by about 6.7%, leaving the company with around 280 million shares, still its largest single investment and nearly 40% of its stock portfolio.

Buffett has often hailed Apple as "probably the best business I know in the world," and lauded Cook's leadership at Berkshire's annual meeting earlier this year. 

"Tim Cook has made Berkshire a lot more than I have made Berkshire," he said, drawing laughter from shareholders.

Berkshire Deploys Billions Into Health, Housing, Energy And More

Alongside the Apple trim, Berkshire purchased $1.6 billion in UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE:UNH) stock, boosted its exposure to homebuilders D.R. Horton (NYSE:DHI) and Lennar (NYSE:LEN) and added positions in Nucor Corp. (NYSE:NUE), Chevron Corp. (NYSE:CVX), Domino's Pizza Inc. (NASDAQ:DPZ) and even an outdoor advertising company. 

Meanwhile, Berkshire's cash balance swelled to an unprecedented $344 billion.

See Also: Apple Warns Of ';Hundreds Of Millions To Billions' Dollar Losses Over Epic Games Ruling, Seeks Stay Amid App Store Shakeup

Buffett Praised Tim Cook For Driving Apple's Growth And Berkshire's Biggest Win

In May, at what was likely his final Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting as chairman, Buffett publicly praised Apple CEO Cook, calling him a key driver of Berkshire's financial success. 

Buffett admitted he only tuned into Apple's earnings call, emphasizing its importance as Berkshire's largest holding, then worth $75 billion.

He told shareholders that Cook had made Berkshire "a lot more money" than he ever had himself, citing Apple's 680% stock surge since 2016. 

Buffett also reflected on Steve Jobs' role in creating Apple, but credited Cook for its growth, noting Jobs made the right choice in naming him successor. Buffett, preparing to pass leadership to Greg Abel later in the year, underscored Cook's pivotal role in Apple's evolution.

Buffett's ';Get Rich Slow' Advice Shared By Bezos And Chesky

In 2021, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky recalled a lunch with Buffett and Jeff Bezos at Sundance, where Bezos shared Buffett's advice.

When Bezos once asked why more people didn't copy Buffett's simple investment strategy, Buffett replied: "Because no one wants to get rich slow."

Price Action: Apple shares fell 0.30% to $230.89 and slipped another 0.14% in premarket trading on Tuesday at the time of writing, according to Benzinga Pro.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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