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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Berkshire Hathaway’s succession is complete: Greg Abel became president and CEO on January 1, 2026. On September 18, 2026, Warren E. Buffett became chairman emeritus while remaining a director, and Howard G. Buffett became board chairman.
Current status as of September 30, 2026
The change Buffett recommended in 2025 has now taken effect. Greg Abel runs Berkshire Hathaway as CEO. Warren Buffett no longer holds the CEO or board-chair role, but he remains on the board as chairman emeritus. Howard G. Buffett chairs the board, while Susan L. Decker continues as lead independent director.
The arrangement separates operating authority from cultural oversight: Abel is responsible for running the company, and Howard Buffett is expected to safeguard Berkshire’s culture and values.
Succession timeline
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| May 3, 2025 | At Berkshire’s annual meeting, Warren Buffett said he would recommend Greg Abel as CEO. |
| May 4–5, 2025 | Berkshire’s board voted unanimously to appoint Abel president and CEO effective January 1, 2026. Buffett remained board chair at that point. |
| January 1, 2026 | Abel assumed the president and CEO position. |
| September 18, 2026 | Berkshire announced that Buffett became chairman emeritus and remained a director. Howard G. Buffett became chairman of the board. |
Who holds authority at Berkshire now?
| Role | Person | Effective date | What the role covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| President and CEO | Greg Abel | January 1, 2026 | Running Berkshire Hathaway and making operating decisions. |
| Chairman of the board | Howard G. Buffett | September 18, 2026 | Board leadership and stewardship of Berkshire’s culture and values. |
| Chairman emeritus and director | Warren E. Buffett | September 18, 2026 | Continued board membership without the CEO or board-chair position. |
| Lead independent director | Susan L. Decker | Continued in role | Lead independent oversight on Berkshire’s board. |
What Buffett and Abel said
In his September 18 shareholder letter, Buffett wrote: “So the timing is right to complete the transition. I will become Chairman Emeritus and remain a Director. My son, Howard, will succeed me as Chairman.”
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Buffett said he had served Berkshire since 1965 and that Abel had already been making the decisions that mattered. He summarized the intended division of responsibilities this way: “Greg runs the company; Howard will guard its culture and values – both worth more than anything on our balance sheet.”
Abel said Buffett’s impact on Berkshire and its owners was “without parallel in the history of American business.” He added that the culture Buffett built and the values he championed would remain central to Berkshire, with Howard as their guardian.
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Why the transition matters to investors
A large, diversified operating company
Berkshire is not a single-line business. Its operations include insurance and reinsurance, utilities and energy, freight rail transportation, manufacturing, services and retailing. The Associated Press reported its value at more than $1 trillion in 2026. A CEO transition therefore affects a broad collection of businesses rather than one product or market.
Buffett’s historical record sets a high comparison point
| Measure | Reported figure | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Berkshire compounded annual growth during Buffett’s CEO tenure | 19.9% | Historical figure reported by the Associated Press from Berkshire data; it describes Buffett’s tenure, not a forecast for Abel. |
| S&P 500 compounded annual growth over the comparison period | 10.4% | Historical comparison reported by the Associated Press; it is not an expected future return. |
Those figures explain why investors focus closely on succession, but they do not establish what Berkshire’s future returns, acquisitions, capital allocation or share-price performance will be under Abel.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchThe governance design is intentional
The announced structure puts day-to-day leadership with Abel while assigning Howard Buffett a culture-and-values role through the board chair. That is a governance plan, not a promise of any particular investment strategy or market result.
How markets have reacted—and what that does not show
The Associated Press reported that Berkshire shares dipped slightly in Friday morning trading after the chairman announcement. A brief move immediately after news cannot establish a long-term market effect, and the available report does not show that the succession will raise or lower the stock over time.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to watch after the handover
- Operating decisions under Abel: Berkshire’s earnings releases and annual reports will show how the new CEO allocates capital, manages subsidiaries and approaches acquisitions.
- Board and culture stewardship: Future shareholder letters and governance disclosures will indicate how Howard Buffett carries out the board-chair role.
- Buffett’s continuing involvement: Buffett remains a director, so Berkshire disclosures may still reflect his board participation even though he is no longer CEO or chairman.
- Performance over time: Investors should evaluate results across multiple reporting periods rather than infer a conclusion from the first trading session or a single quarter.
Berkshire’s official shareholder letters, annual reports and investor-relations disclosures are the most direct records for tracking these developments.
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