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Benzinga
Benzinga
Surbhi Jain

Leon Cooperman, David Tepper Beat Warren Buffett, Bill Ackman In Q2 Billionaire Face-Off

Billions

The second quarter delivered a jolt for hedge fund watchers, with some of Wall Street's most storied managers posting eye-catching gains.

Among the billionaires, Leon Cooperman topped the list with a 17.02% quarterly equity-weighted gain, while Appaloosa LP and Lone Pine Capital LLC weren't far behind at 10.85% and 9.96%, respectively. Meanwhile, Carl Icahn added 9.9%, proving that activist veterans can still move markets.

  • Track Cooperman’s top holding COOP here.
QUARTER FILER QoQ Perf Eq Wt 1-YR Perf Eq Wt 5-Yr Perf Eq Wt All-time Perf Eq Wt
Q2 2025 COOPERMAN LEON G 17.02% 21.14% 178.20% 318.74%
Q2 2025 APPALOOSA LP 10.85% 26.53% 135.76% 4,458.70%
Q2 2025 LONE PINE CAPITAL LLC 9.96% 42.09% 32.69% 1,568.63%
Q2 2025 ICAHN CARL C 9.90% 4.14% 99.11% 72.65%
Q2 2025 THIRD POINT LLC 8.27% 18.34% 51.25% 1,253.41%
Q2 2025 TIGER GLOBAL MANAGEMENT LLC 6.90% 27.15% 16.67% 1,236.03%
Q2 2025 TRIAN FUND MANAGEMENT. 5.80% 3.88% 91.88% 378.92%
Q2 2025 SOROS FUND MANAGEMENT LLC 4.62% 18.30% 52.92% 326.59%
Q2 2025 PERSHING SQUARE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, 4.24% 6.02% 105.47% 562.15%
Q2 2025 DAILY JOURNAL CORP 3.58% 25.27% 104.95% 102.52%
Q2 2025 DME CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LP (Greenlight Capital) 3.14% -6.08% 118.43% 573.73%
Q2 2025 FAIRHOLME CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC 1.16% 1.46% 158.92% 359.49%
Q2 2025 BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY INC 0.95% 9.13% 52.59% 708.93%

Source: WhaleWisdom

Tepper, Cooperman Lead The Aggressive Pack

David Tepper's Appaloosa LP demonstrated why growth and opportunistic strategies can dominate a quarter, while Cooperman's disciplined stock selection showed veteran insight still matters. Icahn’s gains, combined with solid performances from Tiger Global (6.9%) and Daniel S. Loeb‘s Third Point LLC (8.27%), underscore a quarter that favors nimble, concentrated strategies.

Read Also: Icahn Hedge Fund’s Q2 Moves: Centuri Stake Soars, JetBlue Held, 2 Positions Exited

Stalwarts Had Quieter Quarter

  • Warren Buffett‘s Berkshire Hathaway Inc (NYSE:BRK) (NYSE:BRK) eked out 0.95%
  • Bill Ackman‘s Pershing Square Capital Management posted 4.24%, and
  • George SorosSoros Fund Management added 4.62%.

Even though Buffett, Ackman, and Soros didn't lead the second quarter charge, their multi-year track records remain formidable, underscoring the enduring power of patience and scale.

The Big Picture

A second-quarter performance snapshot reveals the hedge fund world in dynamic motion: aggressive, high-conviction managers like Cooperman, Tepper, and Icahn can capture headlines and deliver outsized quarterly results, while long-term veterans provide stability and durable returns.

Read Next:

Image: Shutterstock

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