AT&T vs Berkshire Hathaway: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
AT&T reported $125.6B of revenue in FY2025 and $22B of net income. Berkshire Hathaway reported $371.4B of revenue in FY2025 and $67B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
AT&T
- Latest revenue
- $125.6B (FY2025)
- Net income
- $22B
- Net margin
- 17.5%
- Revenue growth
- -2.9% a year, FY2016–FY2025
Berkshire Hathaway
- Latest revenue
- $371.4B (FY2025)
- Net income
- $67B
- Net margin
- 18.0%
- Revenue growth
- +6.3% a year, FY2016–FY2025
Financial summary
AT&T
AT&T's financial story is large revenue, large debt and a slow correction. The company funded the $48.5 billion DirecTV purchase in 2015 and the $85.4 billion Time Warner purchase in 2018 largely with borrowing, and net debt passed $180 billion after Time Warner closed. It then reversed course: WarnerMedia was separated in 2022, the dividend was cut, and the remaining 70% DIRECTV stake went to TPG in July 2025 for a $5.6 billion gain. FY2025 revenue was $125.6 billion, with $23.4 billion of total net income, $46.4 billion of adjusted EBITDA and $16.6 billion of free cash flow against $117.4 billion of net debt. Roughly $22 billion a year of capital investment goes mostly into fiber and 5G.
Berkshire Hathaway
Berkshire reported 2025 revenue of $371.444 billion, operating earnings of $44.486 billion (down from $47.437 billion in 2024 and above the five-year average of about $37.5 billion), and net earnings attributable to shareholders of $66.968 billion. GAAP net earnings swing with the equity portfolio: 2025 included $30.737 billion of after-tax investment gains and $8.255 billion of after-tax impairments on Kraft Heinz and Occidental. The businesses produced $46 billion of net cash from operating activities. Insurance earned $9.460 billion of pre-tax underwriting profit, with GEICO contributing $6.824 billion, and insurance float grew to $176 billion from $171 billion a year earlier. Shareholders' equity ended 2025 at $717.4 billion, up $68.1 billion, and the insurance and other businesses held $369.0 billion of cash, cash equivalents and US Treasury Bills. Berkshire repurchased no stock in 2025 and has paid no dividend since 1967.
Revenue and profit by year
AT&T
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $125.6B | $22B | 17.5% | +2.7% | Source |
| FY2024 | $122.3B | $10.9B | 8.9% | -0.1% | Source |
| FY2023 | $122.4B | $14.4B | 11.8% | +1.4% | Source |
| FY2022 | $120.7B | -$8.5B | -7.1% | -9.9% | Source |
| FY2021 | $134B | $20.1B | 15.0% | -6.3% | Source |
| FY2020 | $143.1B | -$5.2B | -3.6% | -21.1% | Source |
| FY2019 | $181.2B | $13.9B | 7.7% | +6.1% | Source |
| FY2018 | $170.8B | $19.4B | 11.3% | +6.4% | Source |
| FY2017 | $160.5B | $29.4B | 18.3% | -2.0% | Source |
| FY2016 | $163.8B | $13B | 7.9% | — | Source |
Berkshire Hathaway
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $371.4B | $67B | 18.0% | +0.0% | Source |
| FY2024 | $371.4B | $89B | 24.0% | +1.9% | Source |
| FY2023 | $364.5B | $96.2B | 26.4% | +20.7% | Source |
| FY2022 | $302B | -$22.8B | -7.5% | +9.4% | Source |
| FY2021 | $276.2B | $89.9B | 32.6% | +12.5% | Source |
| FY2020 | $245.6B | $42.5B | 17.3% | -3.5% | Source |
| FY2019 | $254.6B | $81.4B | 32.0% | +2.7% | Source |
| FY2018 | $247.8B | $4B | 1.6% | +3.3% | Source |
| FY2017 | $239.9B | $44.9B | 18.7% | +11.5% | Source |
| FY2016 | $215.1B | $24.1B | 11.2% | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
AT&T
- Mobility~71%
Wireless service plans and device sales. Segment revenue was $89.5 billion in 2025, of which $67.4 billion was service revenue and $22.1 billion equipment.
- Business Wireline~14%
Connectivity for businesses, from fiber and dedicated internet to legacy voice and data. Revenue fell to $17.2 billion in 2025 from $18.8 billion in 2024.
- Consumer Wireline~11%
Home broadband, led by AT&T Fiber and AT&T Internet Air. Revenue was $14.2 billion in 2025, with fiber revenue up 17.0% to $8.6 billion.
- Latin America~3%
Wireless service in Mexico. Revenue was $4.4 billion in 2025, up from $4.2 billion, with $145 million of operating income.
Berkshire Hathaway
- Insurance premiums earned23.9%
GEICO, Berkshire Hathaway Primary Group and Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group earned $88.902B of premiums in 2025 and produced $9.460B of pre-tax underwriting earnings.
- Sales and service revenues53.7%
Manufacturing, service and retailing businesses, plus McLane and Pilot distribution, generated $199.524B of sales and service revenue in 2025, the largest revenue line and a thin-margin one.
- Interest, dividend and other investment income6.3%
Investment income of $23.261B in 2025 came mostly from US Treasury Bills and dividends on the equity portfolio.
- Freight rail transportation6.3%
BNSF produced $23.330B of freight revenue in 2025 hauling consumer products, industrial products, agricultural and energy products and coal.
- Utility and energy operating revenues5.9%
Berkshire Hathaway Energy's regulated utilities and pipelines produced $21.856B in 2025, serving about 5.4 million retail customers.
- Leasing revenues2.7%
Leasing businesses including XTRA trailer leasing and other equipment lessors produced $10.034B in 2025.
- Railroad, utilities and energy service revenues and other income1.2%
Service revenues and other income inside the railroad, utilities and energy group added $4.537B in 2025.
Business model and strategy
AT&T
How it makes money
AT&T runs a capital-intensive network business. It buys licensed wireless spectrum, builds and upgrades cell sites, and trenches fiber, then charges consumers and businesses a monthly fee to use that network. Capital investment was $22.0 billion in 2025 against $125.6 billion of revenue.
Growth strategy
With the US smartphone market saturated, AT&T's growth depends on home internet and on keeping the wireless customers it has. It is building fiber, which passed 32.0 million consumer and business locations at the end of 2025 and carried 10.4 million subscribers, and it sells AT&T Internet Air fixed wireless where fiber is not available.
Competitive advantage
AT&T's advantage is the cost of replicating what it already owns. Its fiber network passed 32.0 million consumer and business locations at the end of 2025, and its mid-band 5G service covers more than 310 million people. Keeping that going took $22.0 billion of capital investment in 2025 alone, which is why the national market has three carriers rather than thirty.
Berkshire Hathaway
How it makes money
Berkshire's business model is capital allocation on top of a decentralized group of operating companies. Subsidiary managers run their own businesses, with no corporate budget submissions and no committee structure at headquarters, and send surplus cash to Omaha.
Growth strategy
Berkshire's size limits what can move its results, so growth comes from large purchases, reinvestment inside existing businesses and buying back its own stock. Buffett described the 2009 BNSF agreement, a $34 billion investment in the railroad, as an all-in wager on the economic future of the United States.
Competitive advantage
Berkshire's advantages are permanent capital, a balance sheet that stays liquid by design, and a reputation that brings sellers to it.
Questions about AT&T vs Berkshire Hathaway
Which company has higher revenue — AT&T Inc. or Berkshire Hathaway Inc.?
AT&T Inc. reported $125.6B (FY2025), while Berkshire Hathaway Inc. reported $371.4B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is the larger business, with AT&T Inc. reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of AT&T Inc. vs Berkshire Hathaway Inc.?
AT&T Inc.'s market capitalisation stands at $174.4B, while Berkshire Hathaway Inc.'s is $1.07T. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to AT&T Inc..
Which is more financially efficient — AT&T Inc. or Berkshire Hathaway Inc.?
AT&T Inc. generates $945k / employee in revenue per employee, while Berkshire Hathaway Inc. generates $958k / employee. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. shows higher revenue efficiency per headcount, though this reflects business model differences — capital-light software companies routinely outperform labour-intensive manufacturers on this metric.
How do AT&T Inc. and Berkshire Hathaway Inc. make money?
AT&T Inc. and Berkshire Hathaway Inc. generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. AT&T Inc.: AT&T runs a capital-intensive network business. Berkshire Hathaway Inc.: Berkshire's business model is capital allocation on top of a decentralized group of operating companies.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — AT&T Inc. or Berkshire Hathaway Inc.?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, AT&T Inc. trades at 1.4x P/S and Berkshire Hathaway Inc. at 2.9x P/S. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to AT&T Inc.. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is AT&T Inc. bigger than Berkshire Hathaway Inc.?
By last reported revenue, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. ($371.4B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to AT&T Inc. ($125.6B (FY2025)). Revenue scale is one dimension of size — market capitalisation, employee count, and geographic reach are also relevant depending on the context.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the AT&T vs Berkshire Hathaway overview