Warren Buffett’s long-standing preference for low-cost index funds has made Vanguard’s S&P 500 ETF, known by its ticker VOO, closely associated with his investing philosophy. VOO seeks to track the S&P 500 through a passive, full-replication strategy, giving investors broad exposure to large U.S. That structure is consistent with Buffett’s guidance for people who do not want to select individual stocks, but it does not show that he expects a market crash or intends to buy VOO for Berkshire Hathaway.
Berkshire reported that it completely sold a 43,000-share VOO position during the fourth quarter of 2024. The combined value was about $45 million, a small amount relative to Berkshire’s broader portfolio, but the full exit from both major S&P 500 ETFs attracted attention because it occurred while U.S. Stocks were still advancing.
The filings do not explain why Berkshire removed the ETF positions. Because each holding was small relative to the portfolio, the sales could reflect routine portfolio cleanup, a preference for owning selected companies directly or a decision to reduce broad-market exposure. Those changes involve specific companies as well as index funds, so the VOO sale alone cannot establish a forecast for a market collapse.
The distinction between Buffett’s advice to individual investors and Berkshire’s own strategy is important. A diversified S&P 500 ETF offers a simple way to hold many large U.S. Companies, while Berkshire can concentrate capital in individual businesses and hold substantial Treasury investments. VOO can therefore remain consistent with Buffett’s public index-fund guidance even though Berkshire no longer reported owning it at the end of 2024.
The verified record supports describing Berkshire’s 2024 positioning as more cautious, but it does not support calling VOO Buffett’s confirmed crash hedge or saying he would load up on it if markets fell.