Berkshire Hathaway Inc. vs Bayerische Motoren Werke AG: Strategic Comparison
Key Differences at a Glance
| Field | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. | Bayerische Motoren Werke AG |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $371.4B | $144.1B |
| Founded | 1839 | 1916 |
| Employees | 387,800 | 154,540 |
| Market Cap | $1.05T | $50.0B |
| Headquarters | United States | Germany |
Quick Stats Comparison
| Metric | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. | Bayerische Motoren Werke AG |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $371.4B | $144.1B |
| Founded | 1839 | 1916 |
| Headquarters | Omaha, Nebraska | Munich, Germany |
| Market Cap | $1.05T | $50.0B |
| Employees | 387,800 | 154,540 |
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Revenue vs Bayerische Motoren Werke AG Revenue — Year by Year
| Year | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. | Bayerische Motoren Werke AG | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $371.4B | $144.1B | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. |
| 2024 | $371.4B | $153.8B | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. |
| 2023 | $364.5B | $167.9B | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. |
| 2022 | N/A | $154.0B | Bayerische Motoren Werke AG |
| 2021 | N/A | $120.1B | Bayerische Motoren Werke AG |
Business Model Breakdown
Overview: Berkshire Hathaway Inc. vs Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
This in-depth comparison examines Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and Bayerische Motoren Werke AG across revenue, market value, business model, competitive positioning, and long-term growth strategy. Whether you are researching Berkshire Hathaway Inc. on its own, evaluating Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, or weighing the two companies side by side, the breakdown below highlights where each company leads and where the gap between Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is widest.
On the headline numbers, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. reports annual revenue of $371.4B against $144.1B for Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, while their respective market capitalizations stand at $1.05T and $50.0B. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is headquartered in United States and Bayerische Motoren Werke AG operates from Germany, and those different home markets shape how each company competes.
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.: Berkshire began as a textile company and became a holding company after Warren Buffett gained control in 1965. The modern company is a collection of operating businesses and investments bound by decentralized management, conservative financing, and a long-term shareholder culture.
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG: BMW's history runs from aircraft engines to motorcycles to premium automobiles. Its modern identity is built on engineering, design, driving dynamics, and a disciplined premium portfolio.
Business Models: How Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and Bayerische Motoren Werke AG Make Money
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and Bayerische Motoren Werke AG pursue distinct approaches to generating revenue, and understanding how each company operates is the foundation of any fair comparison between Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and Bayerische Motoren Werke AG.
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. business model: Berkshire makes money through insurance underwriting and float investment, freight rail, regulated utilities and energy infrastructure, industrial manufacturing, wholesale distribution, retail, services, and a large portfolio of equity and fixed-income investments.
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG business model: BMW earns revenue from premium vehicle sales, motorcycles, parts and accessories, leasing, financing, insurance, and aftersales services. Its Financial Services segment helps convert vehicle demand into recurring finance and leasing relationships.
Competitive Advantage: Berkshire Hathaway Inc. vs Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
The durability of a company's moat often decides long-term winners. Here is how the competitive advantages of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. stack up against those of Bayerische Motoren Werke AG.
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. competitive advantage: Berkshire's advantage is permanent capital, insurance float, a conservative balance sheet, reputation with sellers, and a decentralized culture that attracts owner-minded managers.
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG competitive advantage: BMW's advantage is premium pricing power, engineering credibility, brand loyalty, financial-services integration, and a flexible approach across EV, hybrid, combustion, and hydrogen technologies.
Growth Strategy: Where Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and Bayerische Motoren Werke AG Are Headed
Future prospects matter as much as current results. The growth strategies below explain how Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and Bayerische Motoren Werke AG each plan to expand from here.
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. growth strategy: Berkshire's growth strategy is not a top-down operating plan; it is disciplined capital allocation. The company reinvests in subsidiaries, buys public equities, acquires private businesses when prices fit, and keeps a fortress balance sheet for downturns.
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG growth strategy: BMW's growth strategy is to refresh the product portfolio with Neue Klasse technologies, expand electrified sales, keep a flexible drivetrain strategy, and use financial services to deepen customer retention.
Financial Picture: Berkshire Hathaway Inc. vs Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
A closer look at the financial trajectory of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and Bayerische Motoren Werke AG rounds out the comparison.
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.: For FY2025, Berkshire reported $371.444B in revenue and $66.968B in net income attributable to shareholders. Its filing reported about 387,800 employees worldwide at year-end. The updated net income replaces the prior-year comparison figure previously used in this profile.
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG: For FY2025, BMW reported EUR133.453B in group revenue, EUR10.236B in profit before tax, and EUR7.451B in net profit. This profile stores those native EUR figures and keeps the site-standard revenue display at about $144.1B.
Company-Specific SWOT Notes
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
Berkshire's advantage is permanent capital, insurance float, a conservative balance sheet, reputation with sellers, and a decentralized culture that attracts owner-minded managers.
Berkshire's size makes high-return capital deployment harder, and results can swing with insurance losses and investment-market changes.
Large cash and Treasury holdings give Berkshire optionality if markets dislocate or attractive private businesses become available.
Berkshire Hathaway's biggest risk is the challenge of deploying very large amounts of capital at attractive returns while managing insurance catastrophe exposure, equity-market volatility, and succession execution.
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
BMW's brand, driving dynamics, and global production system support pricing power.
EVs, batteries, software, and new platforms require heavy investment while margins are under pressure.
The Neue Klasse platform and Gen6 battery technology can refresh BMW's product cycle.
Competitive pricing in China, tariffs, and regulatory demands can compress automotive margins.
Head-to-Head Scorecard
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Scale | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. reports the larger revenue base ($371.4B), which serves as a core operational scale signal. |
| Profitability Potential | Comparable | Both organizations prioritize market penetration or are at equivalent reporting tiers. |
| Company Age | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. | Founded in 1839 vs 1916. The earlier pioneer typically commands longer historical institutional legacy. |
| Innovation Moat | Bayerische Motoren Werke AG | Higher aggregate count of major acquisitions and key R&D releases indicates a more active technology absorption velocity. |
| Scale (Employees) | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. | A significantly larger reported workforce supports enhanced global distribution capability. |
| Market Cap | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. | Higher public valuation denotes greater forward-looking investor conviction in earnings potential. |
| Future Outlook | Tied | Strategic auditing assesses that both maintain defensive leadership vectors within their core market clusters. |
Who Wins Each Category?
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. reports the larger revenue base ($371.4B), which serves as a core operational scale signal.
Both organizations prioritize market penetration or are at equivalent reporting tiers.
Founded in 1839 vs 1916. The earlier pioneer typically commands longer historical institutional legacy.
Higher aggregate count of major acquisitions and key R&D releases indicates a more active technology absorption velocity.
A significantly larger reported workforce supports enhanced global distribution capability.
Who Wins: Berkshire Hathaway Inc. or Bayerische Motoren Werke AG?
Reviewed by Swet Parvadiya, May 2026 - Author Profile
Our analysts compile business strategy profiles from public financial filings, press releases, and analyst reports. Each profile is reviewed for accuracy before publication by our editorial desk and updated on a rolling basis.
Frequently Asked Questions: Berkshire Hathaway Inc. vs Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
Is Berkshire Hathaway Inc. better than Bayerische Motoren Werke AG?
Verdict: Between Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is the stronger overall option based on higher annual revenue. The decision still depends on which factors matter most for your needs, but on the weight of the evidence above, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. comes out ahead in this Berkshire Hathaway Inc. vs Bayerische Motoren Werke AG comparison.
Who earns more — Berkshire Hathaway Inc. or Bayerische Motoren Werke AG?
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. earns more with $371.4B in annual revenue versus Bayerische Motoren Werke AG's $144.1B. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. leads on total revenue based on latest verified figures.
Which company has higher revenue — Berkshire Hathaway Inc. or Bayerische Motoren Werke AG?
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. reported $371.4B, while Bayerische Motoren Werke AG reported $144.1B. The revenue leader is Berkshire Hathaway Inc. based on latest verified figures.
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. revenue vs Bayerische Motoren Werke AG revenue — which is higher?
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. revenue: $371.4B. Bayerische Motoren Werke AG revenue: $144.1B. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. has the larger revenue base of the two companies.
Sources & References
- SEC EDGAR: Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Annual Filings (10-K, 8-K)
- Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Corporate Website
- Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Annual Report 2025 - Revenue and Financial Data
- berkshirehathaway.com
- sec.gov
- data.sec.gov
- berkshirehathaway.com
- Bayerische Motoren Werke AG Corporate Website
- Bayerische Motoren Werke AG Annual Report 2025 - Revenue and Financial Data
- bmwgroup.com
- bmwgroup.com
- bmwgroup.com
- bmwgroup.com