
Warren Buffett became Berkshire Hathaway chairman emeritus on September 18 after 56 years as chair. He remains a director; Howard Buffett now chairs the board, while Greg Abel continues to run the company as CEO.

Buffett turned a struggling textile company into a conglomerate valued above $1 trillion. Insurance float supplied patient capital for acquisitions and investments, while Berkshire’s per-share market value compounded at 19.9% annually from 1965 through 2025, versus 10.4% for the S&P 500 with dividends.

The succession deliberately separates the roles Buffett once combined: Abel operates and allocates capital, Howard guards the culture, and Buffett remains an elder voice. Berkshire’s next test is whether patience, decentralization and trust can survive without their architect at the controls.
Worth remembering?









