Bill Gates’ Foundation Cut $800 Million in Q2 From Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway — Here’s Where It Put the Money Instead

Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates’ Gates Foundation Trust reshuffled its investment holdings in the second quarter of 2026, trimming its stake in Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK) by more than $800 million while initiating a new position in Home Depot (NYSE:HD), signaling a shift toward consumer retail and logistics infrastructure.

Trimming Berkshire Hathaway and Waste Management

According to the trust’s second-quarter 13F regulatory disclosure, the foundation reduced its long-standing stake in Berkshire Hathaway by 14%.

The trust offloaded 2.4 million shares, leaving it with 14.7 million shares. This divestment slashed the holding’s overall market value by $818.9 million—dropping from $8.17 billion in the first quarter to $7.35 billion by June 30.

The trust also trimmed its position in Waste Management (NYSE:WM), selling 921,600 shares, a 3% reduction, and lowering its stake value by $396.4 million to $5.96 billion.

Adding Home Depot and Logistics Stakes

Reallocating capital into new opportunities, the foundation trust established two brand-new positions during the quarter. Most notably, the trust acquired 1,000,000 shares of Home Depot, establishing a position valued at $352.7 million.

Additionally, it initiated a 1,192,181-share stake in FedEx Freight Holding Company Inc. (NYSE:FDXF), worth $180 million.

Following its complete liquidation of Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) in the first quarter of 2026, the Gates Foundation Trust saw its total portfolio value climb from $31.67 billion across 22 holdings to $34.42 billion across 24 holdings at the end of the second quarter.

Portfolio Adjustments: Q1 2026 vs. Q2 2026

Company	Q1 2026 Shares	Q2 2026 Shares	Share Change	Q1 2026 Value ($000)	Q2 2026 Value ($000)	Value Change ($000)
Berkshire Hathaway	17,048,304	14,689,844	-2,358,460 (-14%)	$8,169,547	$7,350,651	-$818,896 (-10%)
Home Depot	0	1,000,000	+1,000,000 (NEW)	$0	$352,680	+$352,680 (NEW)
FedEx Freight Holding	0	1,192,181	+1,192,181 (NEW)	$0	$180,019	+$180,019 (NEW)
Waste Management	27,642,344	26,720,744	-921,600 (-3%)	$6,351,934	$5,955,519	-$396,415 (-6%)

How Has HD Performed In 2026?

HD shares fell 1.52% year-to-date, declined 15.35% over the last year, and 13.35% over the last six months. It closed 0.83% lower at $338.86 per share on Friday, and it was 0.32% lower in premarket trading on Monday.

Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings indicate that HD maintains a weak price trend in the long term but a strong trend in the short and medium terms, with a poor growth score.

Photo Courtesy: Alexandros Michailidis on Shutterstock