Berkshire Hathaway collects approximately $848 million per year in dividends from its Coca-Cola stake, which was originally purchased for roughly $1.3 billion more than three decades ago.
Warren Buffett built the position during a seven-year buying period that concluded in August 1994. The 400 million Coca-Cola shares are now valued at approximately $37 billion, with the stock trading near $93 per share. Berkshire maintained full ownership of these shares as of the end of June, according to its latest quarterly filing.
The annual dividend payout now represents approximately 65% of Berkshire's original investment in the stake.
Dividend Growth Over Time
In Berkshire's 2022 shareholder letter, Buffett noted that the annual Coca-Cola dividend had increased from $75 million in 1994 to $704 million in 2022. Berkshire received $816 million in Coca-Cola dividends during 2025.
In February, Coca-Cola announced a quarterly dividend increase of approximately 4% to $0.53 per share, marking the company's 64th consecutive annual dividend increase. At Berkshire's 400 million shares, the new rate translates to roughly $848 million in annual payments—more than 11 times the amount Berkshire received in 1994.
The 1994 dividend represented approximately 5.8% of Berkshire's original investment, demonstrating the yield available to early investors in the position.
Current Yield Comparison
A new investor today would receive a yield of approximately 2.3%, meaning the same $1.3 billion investment made at current prices would generate roughly $30 million annually.
Coca-Cola shares have risen approximately 34% since the end of 2025, adding more than $9 billion to the value of Berkshire's position.
