It looks like the world's richest are only going to get richer in 2026, and with them adding a record-breaking $2.2 trillion to their earnings in 2025, it's a trend likely to continue.
Last year also saw the first time the number of billionaires in the world surpassed 3,000.
You might tend to think of the likes of Elon Musk, Larry Ellison, and Jeff Bezos as the world's richest, but while they seem determined to hang onto their wealth, others like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett are destined to give most of it away.
Buffett, Gates, and his ex-wife formed The Giving Pledge back in 2010, encouraging others to join them in giving away the majority of their wealth. Gates is well on track to give away nearly all his wealth, and similarly, Buffett has even stopped giving his family money after he discovered what they were spending it on.
Advert
With Buffett still worth $147 billion, the former head of Berkshire Hathaway has made plenty of shrewd investments over the years.
Most remember Buffett's impressive punt on Coca-Cola stock in 1988, and with it arguably being Berkshire Hathaway's best investment ever, it still earns him millions every year.
Buffett is also known for his hefty slice of the Apple pie, but in terms of what stock he's telling the rest of us non-billionaires to invest in, it might surprise you.
Advert
As reported by the Motley Fool, Buffett once implored people to invest in Costco, with the stock supposedly holding strong until 2050.
In Buffett's own words, he said: "Costco is an absolutely fabulous organization…If you had to pick one company to own for the next 50 years, you’d have a hard time finding one better than Costco.”
During a 2021 meeting of Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, Buffett said he went against the idea of right-hand man Charlie Munger and told the company to sell its Costco stock.
Given that Costco stock is up nearly 150% in the past five years, we can see why Buffett might be kicking himself.
Advert
Buffett hasn't expanded on what's so great about Costco, but as the Motley Fool notes, it uses scale to generate a cost advantage and then passes it to consumers. This creates strong customer loyalty, which might be why Buffett has such long-term aspirations for the company's stocks.
Added to this is the fact that Costco holds down prices, which means it's difficult for competitors to slip into the market. As rivals are forced to put their prices up, Costco looks cheap by comparison. More customers are lured in, Costco can boost its scale, and it can then lower prices further to bring in even more.
Advert
While Costco stock is far more expensive than it was back when Buffett first bought it back in 2000, it could still be one to look at.
We'd like to remind you that any kind of investment in the stock market comes with risk. Still, it might be worth doing some research into Buffett's portfolio.