At Berkshire Hathaway’s annual meeting, Warren Buffett urged caution against devaluing the dollar, warned against using trade as a weapon, and emphasized global prosperity as key to long-term U.S. success.
May 3, 2025: Omaha, Nebraska – At the 2025 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting—dubbed the “Woodstock for Capitalists”—Warren Buffett offered a mix of financial wisdom and global perspective, addressing everything from the U.S. dollar to nuclear geopolitics. At 94, the legendary investor continues to captivate audiences with blunt truths, long-term thinking, and humility.
One of his strongest remarks came in defense of the U.S. currency.
“We wouldn’t want to be owning anything in a currency we really thought was going to hell,” said Buffett, in response to fears about de-dollarization. His message: don’t bet against the dollar, but be cautious about reckless fiscal policy.
🛑 Trade Is Not a Weapon
Buffett criticized weaponizing trade, pointing to historical and modern consequences.
“Trade should not be a weapon… it can be an act of war. And I think it’s led to bad things, just look at the attitudes it has stirred up in the United States.”
He emphasized that balanced trade benefits all, noting,
“The more prosperous the rest of the world becomes, it won’t be at our expense. The more prosperous we’ll become, and the safer we’ll feel.”
🌍 Prosperity = Security
With eight nations possessing nuclear weapons, Buffett urged caution in treating global economic competition like a zero-sum game.
“We want a prosperous world… I don’t think it’s a great idea to design a world where a few countries say, ‘ha ha ha, we’ve won.’”
💬 Classic Buffett Wisdom
- On American capitalism: “Capitalism in the United States has succeeded like nothing you’ve ever seen.”
- On solving global issues: “We are not in the business of trying to solve unsolvable problems.”
- On government vs. private enterprise: “It’s easier to do stupid things with other people’s money.”
- On humility: “I’m somewhat embarrassed to say that Tim Cook has made Berkshire a lot more money than I’ve ever made Berkshire Hathaway.”
🕊️ Hope Over Fear
Buffett wrapped his reflections with an optimistic note, reminding shareholders of the resilience of America:
“We’ve gone through great recessions, world wars, and the development of the atomic bomb… so I would not get discouraged that we haven’t solved every problem.”
Tags: Warren Buffett, US Dollar, Berkshire Hathaway AGM, global trade, US economy, dollar crisis, Tim Cook, capitalism, de-dollarization, Buffett quotes, nuclear geopolitics, Berkshire 2025, Buffett dollar warning