Buffett Foundation Crosses $1.5 Billion in Ukraine as Investors, Banks Make the Case to Deploy Capital Now

At the Devex Impact House during UN General Assembly week, philanthropists, private equity leaders, multilateral bankers, and Ukrainian officials delivered a unified message: Ukraine is investable now — not after a ceasefire. From Howard Buffett's $1.5 billion humanitarian commitment to Andrew Forrest's $500 million smart grid proposal to Horizon Capital's 30%-plus wartime returns, speaker after speaker challenged the assumption that capital must wait for peace.

• Buffett Foundation surpasses $1.5 billion in Ukraine spending, with $400 million planned this year alone, covering demining, 650 million meals, and the Superhumans prosthetics network
• Ukraine faces a $20–25 billion budget gap in 2026 — the first year without US direct budget support — as Ambassador Makarova calls for full confiscation of $300 billion in frozen Russian sovereign assets
• Andrew Forrest commits $500 million for a national distributed smart grid with AI-managed batteries too small to target, designed to neutralize Russia's energy destruction strategy
• Global food insecurity reaches 350 million people, driven by the war, fertilizer disruption, and shipping lane closures, former WFP chief David Beasley warns
• Superhumans prosthetics network loses nearly all Ukrainian donors in two weeks as Russian attacks destroy businesses funding its $50 million annual operation
• World Bank and EIB mobilize billions in de-risking tools, including a new Ramp Up mechanism targeting 1 GW of renewable energy for Ukraine
• Horizon Capital's wartime portfolio grows 30%+ annually, proving Ukraine can deliver top-5% global fund returns during full-scale war