Warren Buffett stepped down as chairman of Berkshire Hathaway on Friday (Sep 18), handing the highest position to his son Howard and finishing a historic management handover that began with Greg Abel’s appointment as CEO earlier this 12 months.
Buyers will seemingly be eager on how the brand new management steers the US$1 trillion-plus conglomerate. Here’s a take a look at its main pillars:
Greg Abel, CEO
Buffett introduced Abel’s promotion at Berkshire‘s annual assembly, in Might 2025. Many Berkshire managers describe the 64-year-old as educated and compassionate, with a capability to pay attention.
Abel, identified for his hands-on type, got here into the Berkshire fold with its acquisition of MidAmerican Vitality in 2000. He turned the unit, since renamed as Berkshire Hathaway Vitality, into one of many largest energy suppliers in central and western United States.
After helming that enterprise as its CEO for a decade, Abel was appointed vice chairman in 2018 to supervise Berkshire‘s non-insurance companies – railroad; chemical, vitality and industrial firms; and companies reminiscent of Fruit of the Loom and See’s Candies.
He’s believed to be a billionaire, promoting his 1 per cent stake in Berkshire Hathaway Vitality to Berkshire for US$870 million in 2022.
Howard Buffett, Chairman
The eldest son of Warren Buffett has served on Berkshire‘s board since 1993, gaining deep familiarity with its operations. Now 71, he has held directorships at main firms, together with Coca-Cola Co, Archer-Daniels-Midland and ConAgra Meals.
Past Berkshire, Howard is a farmer, a former sheriff and chief at a basis that works in direction of meals safety and conflict-mitigation.
Ajit Jain, Vice Chairman
Jain, who Warren Buffett has credited with producing tens of billions of {dollars} of shareholder worth, has lengthy been seen as a possible CEO. However Buffett stated he didn’t need the job.
India-born Jain, whom his boss referred to as a “distinctive” expertise, has day-to-day oversight of Berkshire‘s insurance coverage companies. He has been key in increasing the reinsurance enterprise, with a specialty in pricing high-risk insurance policies reminiscent of these masking pure catastrophes.
The eventual retirement of Jain – he joined the Omaha, Nebraska-based firm in 1986 – has been carefully watched, notably within the wake of Buffett’s departure. Some media reviews earlier this 12 months threw up the identify of Gen Re Chairman Charlie Shamieh as a possible successor. He has led the Berkshire-owned reinsurer since 2018.
Adam Johnson, President, Shopper Merchandise
Johnson leads NetJets, the world’s largest personal jet operator, and in addition has day-to-day oversight of Berkshire‘s shopper merchandise, providers and retail companies.
He joined the corporate in 1996 and have become the CEO of NetJets in 2015, main it by means of a interval of sustained progress. Throughout his tenure, the enterprise expanded its world fleet, maintained its lead within the fractional plane possession market and invested in sustainability.
Ted Weschler
The funding supervisor oversees a major and rising portion of Berkshire‘s large public fairness portfolio. Weschler, together with one other key funding supervisor Todd Combs, have been as soon as anticipated to take over the portfolio, having helped Buffett put money into shares, however the former CEO had in recent times stated Abel might deal with it.
Combs left Berkshire in December 2025 for JPMorgan Chase, in a serious administration shakeup earlier than Abel took over as CEO.
