OMAHA (Nebraska): Warren Buffett donated on Friday another $6 billion of Berkshire Hathaway stock to the Gates Foundation and four family charities, his biggest annual donation since he began giving away his fortune nearly two decades ago.

The donation of about 12.36 million Berkshire Class B shares boosted Buffett`s overall giving to the charities to well over $60 billion.

He donated 9.43 million shares to the Gates Foundation; 943,384 shares to the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation; and 660,366 shares to each of three charities led respectively by his children Howard, Susie, and Peter: the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, Sherwood Foundation and NoVo Foundation.

Warren Buffett still owns 13.8 percent of Berkshire`s stock, based on reported shares outstanding. His $152 billion net worth prior to Friday`s donations made him the world`s fifth-richest person, according to Forbes magazine.

Buffett would rank sixth after the donations, which surpassed the $5.3 billion he donated last June. He donated another $1.14 billion to the family charities last November. In a statement, Buffett maintained he does not intend to sell any Berkshire shares. Now 94, Buffett began giving away his fortune in 2006.

He changed his will last year, designating 99.5pc of his remaining fortune after his death to a charitable trust overseen by his children.-Reuters