Berkshire Hathaway vs Johnson & Johnson: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
Berkshire Hathaway reported $371.4B of revenue in FY2025 and $67B of net income. Johnson & Johnson reported $94.2B of revenue in FY2025 and $26.8B of net income.
Latest financial snapshot
Berkshire Hathaway
- Latest revenue
- $371.4B (FY2025)
- Net income
- $67B
- Net margin
- 18.0%
- Revenue growth
- +6.3% a year, FY2016–FY2025
Johnson & Johnson
- Latest revenue
- $94.2B (FY2025)
- Net income
- $26.8B
- Net margin
- 28.5%
- Revenue growth
- +3.0% a year, FY2016–FY2025
Financial summary
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.
Johnson & Johnson
J&J's sales grew from $85.2 billion in 2023 to $88.8 billion in 2024 and $94.2 billion in 2025, while FY2025 net earnings reached $26.8 billion. Q2 2026 sales were $25.31 billion (Innovative Medicine $16.38 billion, MedTech $8.93 billion), net earnings were $5.53 billion, adjusted EPS was $2.90, and first-half free cash flow was about $8.7 billion. Management guides 2026 sales of $100.8 to $101.4 billion and adjusted EPS of $11.60 to $11.75. The company has raised its dividend for more than 60 consecutive years, and its market value was roughly $644 billion in mid-September 2026.
Revenue and profit by year
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 |
Johnson & Johnson
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $94.2B | $26.8B | 28.5% | +6.0% | Source |
| FY2024 | $88.8B | $14.1B | 15.8% | +4.3% | Source |
| FY2023 | $85.2B | $35.2B | 41.3% | +6.5% | Source |
| FY2022 | $80B | $17.9B | 22.4% | +1.6% | Source |
| FY2021 | $78.7B | $20.9B | 26.5% | -4.7% | Source |
| FY2020 | $82.6B | $14.7B | 17.8% | +0.6% | Source |
| FY2019 | $82.1B | $15.1B | 18.4% | +0.6% | Source |
| FY2018 | $81.6B | $15.3B | 18.8% | +6.7% | Source |
| FY2017 | $76.5B | $1.3B | 1.7% | +6.3% | Source |
| FY2016 | $71.9B | $16.5B | 23.0% | — | Source |
Where the revenue comes from
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.
Johnson & Johnson
- Innovative Medicine~64%
Innovative Medicine generated $60.401 billion in FY2025 sales across oncology, immunology, neuroscience, pulmonary hypertension, infectious disease, and cardiovascular/metabolism.
- MedTech~36%
MedTech generated $33.792 billion in FY2025 sales across surgery, orthopaedics, cardiovascular, and vision products.
Business model and strategy
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.
Johnson & Johnson
How it makes money
J&J makes money in two ways. Innovative Medicine (about 64% of FY2025 sales, $60.4 billion) sells patented prescription medicines to wholesalers, specialty pharmacies, hospitals, and governments; key products include DARZALEX for multiple myeloma, TREMFYA and STELARA in immunology, ERLEADA in prostate cancer, CARVYKTI cell therapy, and CAPLYTA, added through the 2025 Intra-Cellular Therapies deal.
Growth strategy
J&J is narrowing its portfolio toward higher-growth areas. It spun off consumer health as Kenvue in 2023, announced in October 2025 that it will separate its orthopaedics business as DePuy Synthes, and used acquisitions to refill its pipeline: Abiomed ($16.6 billion, 2022), Shockwave Medical ($13.1 billion, 2024), and Intra-Cellular Therapies ($14.6 billion, 2025).
Competitive advantage
J&J's edge is breadth plus balance-sheet strength. It runs one of the largest pharmaceutical R&D budgets in the industry, holds a AAA credit rating from S&P (one of only two US companies with that rating, alongside Microsoft), and sells into hospitals across pharmaceuticals and devices at the same time.
Questions about Berkshire Hathaway vs Johnson & Johnson
Which company has higher revenue — Berkshire Hathaway Inc. or Johnson & Johnson?
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. reported $371.4B (FY2025), while Johnson & Johnson reported $94.2B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is the larger business, with Johnson & Johnson reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. vs Johnson & Johnson?
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.'s market capitalisation stands at $1.07T, while Johnson & Johnson's is $643.9B. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to Johnson & Johnson.
Which is more financially efficient — Berkshire Hathaway Inc. or Johnson & Johnson?
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. generates $958k / employee in revenue per employee, while Johnson & Johnson generates $669k / 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 Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and Johnson & Johnson make money?
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and Johnson & Johnson generate revenue in fundamentally different ways. Berkshire Hathaway Inc.: Berkshire's business model is capital allocation on top of a decentralized group of operating companies. Johnson & Johnson: J&J makes money in two ways.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — Berkshire Hathaway Inc. or Johnson & Johnson?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. trades at 2.9x P/S and Johnson & Johnson at 6.8x P/S. Johnson & Johnson commands a higher revenue multiple, typically indicating that investors expect faster growth or higher future margins compared to Berkshire Hathaway Inc.. A higher multiple is not inherently better — it may also signal that the stock is priced for perfection.
Is Berkshire Hathaway Inc. bigger than Johnson & Johnson?
By last reported revenue, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. ($371.4B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to Johnson & Johnson ($94.2B (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 Berkshire Hathaway vs Johnson & Johnson overview