Greg Abel Leads Berkshire Hathaway After Warren Buffett Retires
Greg Abel has assumed control of Berkshire Hathaway's investment portfolio following the retirement of Warren Buffett as CEO and chairman.
Berkshire Hathaway has completed a major leadership transition as Warren Buffett retired as CEO on December 31 and subsequently stepped down as chairman. Greg Abel now serves as CEO, managing the company's $354 billion investment portfolio, while Howard Graham Buffett assumed the role of chairman of the board on September 18. Warren Buffett has transitioned to chair emeritus.
Under the new leadership, the conglomerate continues to prioritize value investing. Since mid-July 2018, the firm spent over $82 billion on share repurchases, though it paused buybacks for 21 months between June 2024 and February 2026 when stock prices reached a 60% to 80% premium to book value. Warren Buffett previously warned that if an investor's entry point is unusually high, it may take many years to realize a profit.
Recent strategic moves include building a significant position in Alphabet Inc., which became the firm's third-largest holding as of September 25, 2026, representing 10% of the total portfolio. Warren Buffett initiated these purchases in the third quarter of 2025, and both he and Greg Abel remain bullish on Alphabet's artificial intelligence capabilities and data center investments. Despite Warren Buffett's confidence in Abel, some investors have expressed uncertainty regarding Abel's lack of formal prior experience managing the equity portfolio, contributing to a flat stock performance that has underperformed the S&P 500 this year.
