• Australia's largest state hits record-high COVID-19 cases despite weeks of strict lockdown. 'It's a tinderbox ready to explode,' one official said.
• eToro says crypto made up 73% of trading commissions in the last quarter, as retail customers dived in
• A flight attendant says she was too exhausted to report a passenger who shoved her when a flight was overbooked: report
• US jobless claims climb for first time in 5 weeks, to 353,000

WARREN BUFFETT HAS been incredibly successful, and he's extremely wealthy.

Warren Buffett's wealth jumped by around $12.7 billion in 2013 alone. But how much is $12.7 billion anyway?

And how good an investor is Warren Buffett really? We've put together some facts that really put him in perspective.

99% of Buffett's wealth was earned after his 50th birthday.

Buffett made $62.7 billion of his $63.3 billion net worth after his 50th birthday.

$60 billion — nearly 95% — is from after his 60th birthday.

Talk about long-term investment strategies.

Source: Fool

Berkshire's Book Value beat the S&P 500 in 43 out of 44 years on a five-year rolling average basis.

From 2008 to 2013, the S&P 500 returned 128%, while Berkshire (based on book value per Class A share) returned 80%.

Source: Berkshire Hathaway, Business Insider

Among legends, Buffett has the longest track record for beating the market.

That chart compares investors with the S&P 500 over time. You can see the longevity of Buffett's outperformance is greater than that of other great investors.

Buffett's net worth of $63.3 billion is greater than the combined 2013 GDP of Ghana and Cambodia.

Gavin Barker Gavin Barker

Ghana's 2013 GDP was estimated to be $47,928,717,949.

Cambodia's 2013 GDP was estimated to be $15,249,684,397.

Warren Buffett's wealth currently makes him the world's third-richest man.

In 2013, Buffett made on average $37 million per day — that's more than what Jennifer Lawrence made the entire year.

Ian West Ian West

Buffett made his first stock purchase the same year that Pearl Harbor was bombed, 1941.

US Navy US Navy

Buffett has donated a lifetime total of $20 billion — the second-highest amount (following that of Bill Gates)

In 2014, a Singapore man bid $2.2 million for lunch with Buffett. That amount could've provided 9,746 US college students with a calculus textbook.

Flickr / alancleaver Flickr / alancleaver / alancleaver

If you invested $1,000 in Berkshire Hathaway in 1970, that amount would be $4.86 million higher today.

Screengrab Screengrab

If you invested $1,000 in Berkshire Hathaway in 1980, that amount would be $532,165 higher today.

Businessinsider Businessinsider

If you invested $1,000 in Berkshire Hathaway in 1990, that amount would be $29,785 higher today.

Gioergio / Flickr Gioergio / Flickr / Flickr

If you invested $1,000 in Berkshire Hathaway the year that Buffett became the majority shareholder, that amount would be $10.5 million higher today.

Businessinsider Businessinsider

Read: Got $3.5million to spare? You could have lunch with Warren Buffett…

Read: Bono serenades the Buffetts at family wedding

Making a difference

A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

For the price of one cup of coffee each week you can make sure we can keep reliable, meaningful news open to everyone regardless of their ability to pay.

Support us Learn More