Berkshire Hathaway, one of the largest corporations in the United States, has announced the appointment of Greg Abel, Berkshire Vice Chairman of non-insurance operations, as the new President and CEO, effective 1st January 2026.
He will be taking over from Warren Buffet, 94, who remains in his post as Chairman of the board. The appointment, which followed a unanimous vote by the Board of Directors, represents the most significant leadership change in the company since Buffett himself took the helm in 1965.
The promotion solidifies Abel’s position as the operational architect behind Berkshire’s sprawling non-insurance businesses, which include critical infrastructure like BNSF Railway and Berkshire Hathaway Energy.
His elevation follows nearly two decades of steadily increasing responsibility within the organization, where he first caught Buffett’s attention as a disciplined capital allocator during his tenure as CEO of MidAmerican Energy.
While Buffet will remain involved in major capital allocation decisions and serve as the company’s philosophical compass, the day-to-day operations will fall on the shoulders of his right-hand man of many years.
It will not be a walk in the park as Abel inherits a conglomerate facing both familiar challenges – how to deploy its billion-dollar cash hoard – and new ones, including navigating technological disruption in industries like energy and transportation.
With the full confidence of both the legendary investor who built it and the board that has stewarded its growth, Abel has all the tools to steer the company forward in terms of growth and development.
