Warren Buffett gets standing ovation from over 40,000 shareholders at Berkshire Hathaway's annual meeting | Watch

An arena full of over 40,000 shareholders erupted into a standing ovation for billionaire Warren Buffett at the 2025 Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting in Omaha on Saturday. Buffett, 94, announced that he would retire at the end of the year, ending a six-decade run leading Berkshire Hathaway.

Reflecting on his immense influence since 1965, the arena attendees stood in admiration for the “great” investor in recognition of his 60 years of leading the company.

During that period, Berkshire nearly doubled the returns of the S&P 500, with a 19.9% compounded annual growth rate compared with the index’s 10.4% gain.

Sharing a clip of the astounding moment, an Indian Portfolio Manager, Gautam Baid, wrote: “A standing ovation for the great Warren Buffett by 40,000+ people here in the arena.”

“That, my friends, is the greatest wealth one can accumulate over a lifetime - ‘heartfelt respect and admiration’,” he added.

Watch the viral video here:

Here's how the netizens reacted:

Netizens were overwhelmed by the response Warren Buffett received at the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting, where they hailed the “legend.”

“Wow! Unbelievable. He is the greatest investor of all time,” a user said.

“This is priceless, cannot be bought, only earned,” a user reacted to the video.

“Absolutely. Respect, integrity, and lasting impact,” added another user.

“What a legacy,” quipped a user, while another said: “It was a hell of a ride. GOAT. A man who inspired.”

“While saluting the sage saying sayonara, here’s the best ever Warren Buffett quote: 'Only when the tide goes out do you discover who's been swimming naked.'” a user said, quoting Buffett.

However, another user highlighted that the applause was not solely for Warren Buffett, but for his statement. “Well, to be fair the applause was not for him, it was for his statement that he intends not to sell ‘a single share of stock’,” said the user.

Warren Buffett to retire

Warren Buffett's announcement to retire by the end of 2025 surprised the shareholders due to his prior reluctance to retire.

Buffett announced the news at the end of a five-hour question-and-answer period without taking any questions about it. He said the only board members who knew this was coming were his two children, Howard and Susie Buffett.

Buffett named Vice Chairman Greg Abel as his replacement at Berkshire Hathaway.

“I think the time has arrived where Greg should become the chief executive officer of the company at year end,” Buffett said.

Abel has been Buffett's designated successor for years, and he already manages all of Berkshire's noninsurance businesses. But it was always assumed that he would not take over until after Buffett's death.

Previously, the 94-year-old always said he had no plans to retire.

Abel, who was sitting next to Buffett on stage, had no warning of what was coming and had returned an hour later without Buffett to conduct the company's formal business meeting.