Warren Buffett steps down as chair of Berkshire Hathaway after over 50 years

by | Sep 21, 2026 | Business

Warren Buffett steps down as chair of Berkshire Hathaway after over 50 years

Warren Buffett announced his resignation as chair of Berkshire Hathaway, concluding his leadership tenure at the company that has grown into a $1 trillion conglomerate. The 96-year-old cited his advancing age as the primary factor in the decision, referencing a one-year-old great-grandchild who is outpacing him physically.

Howard Buffett, the founder’s second child among three offspring, will assume the chairmanship. The 71-year-old has served on Berkshire’s board since 1993 and was widely anticipated to eventually succeed his father in this role. Buffett stated that his son was selected for the position due to family succession, while also expressing confidence in all three of his children.

Buffett will retain an advisory capacity as chair emeritus and will continue serving as a board director. This leadership transition follows his departure from the chief executive role in May 2025, when Greg Abel, the company’s vice-chair, took over as CEO. In his resignation letter to shareholders, Buffett expressed confidence in Berkshire’s future prospects and described his tenure as a significant privilege.

Berkshire Hathaway operates as a diversified holding company with substantial operations across construction, manufacturing, consumer goods, and insurance sectors. The organization maintains major equity stakes in numerous publicly traded corporations including Nvidia, Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, and Meta. According to Bloomberg, Buffett’s personal net worth stands at $145 billion, positioning him as the world’s 10th wealthiest individual.

Article Attribution | Read More at Article Source

Article summary produced by Claude AI