The famous investor Warren Buffett once had the chance to invest in Google but decided against it.

Shareholders of Buffett’s company, Berkshire Hathaway, have not gained anything from the remarkable rise of Google’s parent company, Alphabet.

Alphabet’s market value crossed the $1 trillion mark just recently. Fueled by Google’s success, the company now ranks among the top companies like Amazon and Microsoft. Buffett admitted his error, stating in a 2017 interview, “We missed it.” Later on, he said to CNBC, “I should have invested in Google.”

The stock price of Alphabet has surged five times in the last seven years. Buffett initially noticed Google due to Geico, an insurance firm owned by Berkshire Hathaway, using Google’s ads to boost revenue. Geico was paying $10 per click on Google ads, while Google’s costs in these transactions were minimal. Buffett described it as, “Imagine earning money every time someone clicks an ad, just like a cash register ringing in California,” during his 2017 interview.

Buffett isn’t the only one regretting missing the chance to invest in Alphabet. His partner, Charlie Munger, also expressed remorse over this missed opportunity. Munger highlighted at a Berkshire Hathaway shareholder’s meeting in 2019, “We witnessed firsthand the effectiveness of Google advertising in our operations.”