Warren Buffett 90/10 Portfolio
Jul 30, 2002 – Nov 12, 2026, Rebalanced annually, SHY starts Jul 30, 2002
| Final balance | CAGR | Max drawdown | Sharpe ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffett 90/10 | $109,102 | +10.34% | −50.16% | 0.68 |
| S&P 500 | $129,320 | +11.11% | −55.19% | 0.66 |
| Final balance | CAGR | Max drawdown | Sharpe ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffett 90/10 | $109,102 | +10.34% | −50.16% | 0.68 |
| S&P 500 | $129,320 | +11.11% | −55.19% | 0.66 |
| Buffett 90/10 | S&P 500 | |
|---|---|---|
| Final balance | $109,102 | $129,320 |
| CAGR | +10.34% | +11.11% |
| Max drawdown | −50.16% | −55.19% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.68 | 0.66 |
Loading the growth chart…
Growth of $10,000
Key metrics
| Return | Buffett 90/10 | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Final balance | $109,102 | $129,320 |
| Total return | +991.02% | +1,193.20% |
| CAGR | +10.34% | +11.11% |
| Calendar years | Buffett 90/10 | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Best year | +29.10% | +32.31% |
| Worst year | −32.45% | −36.80% |
| Positive years | 20 of 23 | 20 of 23 |
| Risk | Buffett 90/10 | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Max drawdown | −50.16% | −55.19% |
| Longest drawdown | 4.4 years | 4.9 years |
| Volatility (daily, annualized) | 16.62% | 18.76% |
| Risk-adjusted | Buffett 90/10 | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratio | 0.68 | 0.66 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.96 | 0.93 |
| Calmar ratio | 0.21 | 0.20 |
Annual returns
| Year | Buffett 90/10 | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | +19.56% | +21.71% |
| 2018 | −3.97% | −4.57% |
| 2019 | +28.44% | +31.22% |
| 2020 | +16.80% | +18.33% |
| 2021 | +25.78% | +28.73% |
| 2022 | −16.75% | −18.18% |
| 2023 | +23.97% | +26.18% |
| 2024 | +22.79% | +24.89% |
| 2025 | +16.44% | +17.72% |
| 2026 to Nov 12 | +10.80% | +11.89% |
Worst drawdowns
| Decline | Peak | Bottom | Recovered | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| −50.2% | Oct 2007 | Mar 2009 | Mar 2012 | 4.4 years |
| −30.3% | Feb 2020 | Mar 2020 | Aug 2020 | 6 months |
| −22.5% | Jan 2022 | Oct 2022 | Dec 2023 | 1.9 years |
| −17.5% | Sep 2018 | Dec 2018 | Apr 2019 | 6 months |
| −17.0% | Aug 2002 | Oct 2002 | May 2003 | 9 months |
About the Warren Buffett 90/10 Portfolio
In his 2013 letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders, Warren Buffett said how the money he leaves his wife should be invested. His advice to the trustee is 90% in a very low-cost S&P 500 index fund and 10% in short-term government bonds.
It's almost all stocks, so it rises and falls with the market. The bonds are a small reserve for bad years. Buffett suggested Vanguard's fund. Its ETF, VOO, only started in 2010, so this page uses SPY.
Its worst fall took 4.4 years to recover, and it beat the S&P 500 in 4 of 23 full years.
Daily closes with dividends reinvested and fund fees included, before taxes and trading costs.