Which ETFs do the Famous Investors Own?

Warren Buffett

Warren Buffett is renowned as one of the greatest value investors of all time (with a strong emphasis on quality investing, thanks to the late Charlie Munger). But even in Berkshire Hathaway’s portfolio, a fortress built on iconic stock holdings, you’ll find a few ETF odds and ends.

Specifically, there are small positions in the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust

and the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF

VOO

-0.11%

—each worth around $22 million. Together, these holdings represent less than 0.02% of Berkshire’s colossal portfolio.

Why are these ETFs there? It’s no secret that Buffett is a fan of the S&P 500 and low-cost index funds that track it. He’s often spoken about how, upon his passing, 90% of his wife’s portfolio will be invested in S&P 500 index funds, with the remaining 10% in Treasury bills.

Still, this minor holding in Berkshire’s portfolio feels curious. It’s almost inconsequential, given the firm’s $325 billion cash pile. But honestly, I’m glad to see Berkshire opting for some cheap beta exposure instead of simply adding more to that massive cash reserve.

Stanley Druckenmiller

Stanley Druckenmiller, a legendary investor and the manager of Duquesne Family Office, is best known for his prolific stock-picking skills.

Yet, one ETF in his portfolio stood out—a modest 0.66% position in the Global X MSCI Argentina ETF

. It seems Druckenmiller placed a small bet on the success of Argentina’s reformist President Javier Milei, and that gamble paid off.

Over the trailing five- and three-year periods, ARGT has delivered impressive annualized returns of 27.19% and 40.97%, respectively. Unfortunately for Druckenmiller, the position was relatively small, limiting the impact of this winning trade.

George Soros

George Soros, a renowned investor and stock picker, gained fame for “breaking the Bank of England” in 1992 by shorting the British pound and profiting over $1 billion. He’s also infamous as the bogeyman in countless right-wing conspiracy theories, adding a layer of intrigue to his investment choices.

Soros’s largest ETF holding, comprising 0.52% of his portfolio, is the iShares National Muni Bond ETF

. This low-cost municipal bond ETF, with a 0.05% expense ratio, is likely a source of tax-efficient income for Soros and a substitute for traditional bonds.

MUB is a straightforward, high-credit-quality municipal bond fund offering a 3.51% 30-day SEC yield, but for someone in Soros’s tax bracket, the tax-equivalent yield is undoubtedly higher.

Interestingly, Soros opted for this standard municipal bond ETF rather than an AMT-free alternative—an ETF designed to avoid exposure to bonds subject to the alternative minimum tax (AMT). While this choice is surprising, Soros likely has specific strategic reasons for sticking with MUB.

Joel Greenblatt

Joel Greenblatt, the renowned value investor, is best known for discovering Michael Burry’s talent while Burry was still a medical resident.

He’s also the author of two bestselling books, You Can Be a Stock Market Genius: Uncover the Secret Hiding Places of Stock Market Profits and The Little Book That Beats the Market.

The latter introduced the concept of “magic formula investing,” a strategy that emphasizes buying quality companies at attractive prices.

Despite his reputation as a stock picker, Greenblatt’s portfolio has the highest allocation to ETFs among the investors profiled in this article. A significant 11.05% of his holdings are in SPY.

However, what stands out even more is his investment in two ETFs advised by his firm, Gotham Asset Management: the Gotham Enhanced 500 ETF

and the Gotham 1000 Value ETF

GVLU

-0.35%

, which make up 4.87% and 0.67% of his portfolio, respectively.

GSPY reweights the S&P 500 stocks using Gotham’s proprietary active strategy, providing higher exposure to value-oriented companies. Meanwhile, GVLU focuses on 400-600 stocks selected from the largest 1,400 U.S. companies, applying Greenblatt’s value investing principles to overweight the most attractively priced stocks.

I respect this approach—Greenblatt is actively putting his money where his strategy is. It’s refreshing to see an ETF advisor with true skin in the game, aligning with the interests of his investors.

Please note this article is for information purposes only and does not in any way constitute investment advice. It is essential that you seek advice from a registered financial professional prior to making any investment decision.