Berkshire Hathaway vs Tesla: Revenue, Profit and Business Model
Berkshire Hathaway reported $371.4B of revenue in FY2025 and $67B of net income. Tesla reported $94.8B of revenue in FY2025 and $3.8B 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
Tesla
- Latest revenue
- $94.8B (FY2025)
- Net income
- $3.8B
- Net margin
- 4.0%
- Revenue growth
- +33.6% 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.
Tesla
Tesla's revenue peaked at $97.69 billion in 2024 and slipped 2.9% to $94.83 billion in FY2025, while net income fell from $7.09 billion to $3.79 billion as vehicle prices and regulatory-credit income declined. The second quarter of 2026 reversed the top-line trend: revenue rose 26% to a record $28.24 billion, with automotive up 23% to $20.52 billion, services and other up 50% to $4.58 billion, and energy up 13% to $3.14 billion. Profit did not follow. GAAP net income fell 5% to $1.11 billion and adjusted EPS of $0.33 missed estimates because of higher R&D and AI infrastructure spending.
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 |
Tesla
| Year | Revenue | Net income | Margin | Growth | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | $94.8B | $3.8B | 4.0% | -2.9% | Source |
| FY2024 | $97.7B | $7.1B | 7.3% | +0.9% | Source |
| FY2023 | $96.8B | $15B | 15.5% | +18.8% | Source |
| FY2022 | $81.5B | $12.6B | 15.4% | +51.4% | Source |
| FY2021 | $53.8B | $5.5B | 10.3% | +70.7% | Source |
| FY2020 | $31.5B | $721M | 2.3% | +28.3% | Source |
| FY2019 | $24.6B | -$862M | -3.5% | +14.5% | Source |
| FY2018 | $21.5B | -$976M | -4.5% | +82.5% | Source |
| FY2017 | $11.8B | -$2B | -16.7% | +68.0% | Source |
| FY2016 | $7B | -$674.9M | -9.6% | — | 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.
Tesla
- Automotive sales and leasing~73%
Model 3, Model Y, Cybertruck and remaining other models, plus regulatory credits. $20.52B in Q2 2026.
- Services and other~16%
Supercharging, FSD and connectivity software, service, used cars, insurance and parts. $4.58B in Q2 2026, up 50%.
- Energy generation and storage~11%
Megapack, Powerwall and solar. $3.14B in Q2 2026, up 13%.
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.
Tesla
How it makes money
Tesla operates a vertically integrated electric vehicle, clean energy generation, and software ecosystem model. The company generates revenue across four primary pillars: First, Automotive Sales and Leasing, selling mass-market electric vehicles (Model Y, Model 3) and premium models (Model S, Model X, Cybertruck) directly to consumers without franchised dealers.
Growth strategy
Tesla's growth plan rests on four bets. First, regain vehicle volume: deliveries fell 8.6% to 1.64 million in 2025, then rebounded to a record 480,126 in Q2 2026, up 25% year over year. Second, autonomy: Tesla runs a paid robotaxi service in several U.S. cities and is building the steering-wheel-free Cybercab, though the Q2 2026 shareholder letter dropped the target of volume production in 2026.
Competitive advantage
Tesla's advantage comes from brand strength, direct sales, software updates, charging infrastructure, battery and powertrain know-how, manufacturing scale, data, and energy-storage growth.
Questions about Berkshire Hathaway vs Tesla
Which company has higher revenue — Berkshire Hathaway Inc. or Tesla, Inc.?
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. reported $371.4B (FY2025), while Tesla, Inc. reported $94.8B (FY2025). By last reported revenue, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is the larger business, with Tesla, Inc. reporting a smaller revenue base.
What is the market cap of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. vs Tesla, Inc.?
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.'s market capitalisation stands at $1.07T, while Tesla, Inc.'s is $1.49T. Tesla, Inc. carries the higher market valuation, reflecting investors' expectations of its future earnings power relative to Berkshire Hathaway Inc..
Which is more financially efficient — Berkshire Hathaway Inc. or Tesla, Inc.?
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. generates $958k / employee in revenue per employee, while Tesla, Inc. generates $704k / 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 Tesla, Inc. make money?
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and Tesla, Inc. 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. Tesla, Inc.: Tesla operates a vertically integrated electric vehicle, clean energy generation, and software ecosystem model.
Which company is valued higher relative to revenue — Berkshire Hathaway Inc. or Tesla, Inc.?
On a price-to-sales (P/S) basis, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. trades at 2.9x P/S and Tesla, Inc. at 15.7x P/S. Tesla, Inc. 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 Tesla, Inc.?
By last reported revenue, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. ($371.4B (FY2025)) is the larger company compared to Tesla, Inc. ($94.8B (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 Tesla overview