According to the Financial Times, the Berkshire Hathaway CEO purchased the substantial stake just weeks before the record-breaking $68.7 billion acquisition was completed.

Berkshire Hathaway purchased nearly 14.7 million shares of Activision Blizzard in the fourth quarter of 2021, a stake that was worth approximately $975 million at the time. However, the video game company is now trading at around $81.50 per share following the deal. Consequently, Berkshire Hathaway’s stake is now worth approximately $1.2 billion. The perfect timing of Hathaway’s purchase has led many to believe that Buffett had inside knowledge of the Microsoft-Activision deal. 

Though he resigned in 2020, Gates sat on Berkshire Hathaway’s board for 16 years, while Buffett served as a trustee of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation from 2006 to 2021. However, the pair’s relationship is not solely professional. On Buffett’s 90th birthday, Gates marked the occasion by sharing a video of himself baking a birthday cake for the Berkshire Hathaway CEO.