Warren Buffett Retires at 94: A Legacy of Value Investing and How You Can Apply His Strategy Today

“Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.”

Few people have planted more trees—or shaded more investors—than Warren Buffett.

At 94, Warren Buffett—the legendary investor and longtime CEO of Berkshire Hathaway—has announced his retirement, marking the end of one of the greatest eras in financial history. Known as the “Oracle of Omaha,” Buffett’s investing approach transformed the lives of millions and gave the world a timeless blueprint for wealth creation through value investing.

In this article, we pay tribute to his remarkable career and show you how to apply his proven investment principles using a Buffett-style Guru screen on sharpely, designed to help you find quality businesses the Buffett way.

From Paper Routes to Market Legend

Warren Buffett bought his first stock at age 11. What began as a childhood obsession with numbers became one of the greatest investing journeys of all time. By acquiring Berkshire Hathaway, a failing textile company, and turning it into a $800 billion conglomerate, Buffett showed how long-term thinking, sound fundamentals, and business discipline can yield extraordinary results.

Buffett’s Investment Philosophy: Timeless, Simple, Effective

Buffett’s investing principles were shaped by Benjamin Graham, but over the decades, he refined them. Rather than just buying cheap stocks, Buffett focused on buying great businesses at fair prices.

Here are the cornerstones of his investment strategy:

• Economic Moat: Look for companies with durable competitive advantages.
• Ethical & Competent Management: Back founders and CEOs who think long term.
• Consistent Earnings Power: Prefer predictable earnings and strong free cash flow.
• Financial Strength: Companies with low debt and high return on equity.
• Margin of Safety: Always buy with a buffer between price and intrinsic value.

These principles made Buffett an icon—not just for Wall Street, but for everyday investors across the world.

A Teacher, Philosopher, and Philanthropist

Buffett’s annual shareholder letters weren’t just updates—they were investing masterclasses. Investors across the globe studied them like sacred texts, drawn to Buffett’s clarity, humility, and timeless wisdom.

And he gave back. Pledging to donate over 99% of his wealth, Buffett became one of the most generous philanthropists in history. His Giving Pledge, launched with Bill Gates, changed how billionaires think about wealth and impact.

The Succession Plan: Greg Abel Takes Over

With Buffett stepping down, Berkshire’s Vice-Chairman Greg Abel is set to take over day-to-day leadership. Buffett assured shareholders that Abel understands the company’s culture deeply and will continue the philosophy of long-term value creation.

Invest Like Buffett: sharpely’s Buffett-Style Stock Screener

While Buffett’s retirement marks the end of an era, his investing framework is more relevant than ever. At sharpely, we’ve built a powerful, easy-to-use Buffett-style stock screener that applies his exact investing filters—so you can discover quality businesses with long-term potential.

What the Buffett Screen Includes:

1. Return on Equity > 15% (5-year average): Find companies that generate high returns on shareholder capital.
2. Low Debt Levels: Filters out companies with high debt-to-equity or weak interest coverage.
3. Consistent Earnings Growth: Ensures the company has growing EPS and stable profit margins over time.
4. Reasonable Valuation: Includes valuation checks like PE ratio < 25 and PB ratio < 3.
5. Competitive Advantage (Moat): Focus on businesses with durable moats via proprietary scoring.

This screen is built to reflect what Buffett would likely look for today.

How to Use It

1. Visit Sharpely’s Stock Screener
2. Scroll down to 'Screens created by sharpely community'
3. Click on Guru Screen and you will find the Warren Buffet's Consistent Compounders
4. Explore the list of quality businesses
5. Clone the screen to customize filters
6. Backtest and analyze past returns

This tool is ideal for long-term investors, value investors, and anyone who wants to build a portfolio the Buffett way. FYI, you can also use this screen as a checklist while analyzing any company!

Closing Thoughts

Buffett may be retiring, but his principles will never go out of style. Whether you're an investing veteran or just getting started, the best way to honor his legacy is to invest with discipline, patience, and clarity.

Use the Buffett-style screen on sharpely to take your first step in that direction.

“The best investment you can make is in yourself.” — Warren Buffett

Let’s keep learning, building, and investing—just like he taught us.