I mean, a billion IS a lot of money, but it's a very small risk on BH's part, and an even smaller part on Apple's.
That amount of money is a lot of money relative to other money, but it's not really a big deal relative to either party here.
However, I think that Buffett is just making a statement of 'look how much I think of Apple' by throwing that bn around, perhaps inspiring other investors?
Not really my preferred science...
edit: For some reason I didn't process that the investment was old, although it's the first few paragraphs of the article.
> Berkshire’s positions were disclosed in a 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, a quarterly requirement for investors managing more than $100 million. The report indicates the number of shares held and the value of each stake at the end of the quarter, so it isn’t clear if Mr. Buffett’s firm has continued buying the stock since the quarter ended.
The amount may be small, but Buffet didn't get where he is with random bets.
"Mr. Buffett has said that large stock picks of above $1 billion are usually made by him, while smaller purchases are made by one of the two managers. They don’t consult with him before making their investing decisions, Mr. Buffett added Monday."