What does Berkshire Hathaway do?
Berkshire Hathaway is a holding company that owns dozens of businesses outright, including the car insurer GEICO, the BNSF railway, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, Duracell, Dairy Queen and See’s Candies, and holds large stakes in listed companies such as Apple and American Express 1. It is based in Omaha, Nebraska.
From textile mill to conglomerate
Berkshire began as a New England textile maker. Warren Buffett started buying its shares in 1962 and took control in 1965, then used its cash to buy insurance companies, whose premiums funded further acquisitions. Over six decades that approach turned it into one of the largest companies in the world.
Who runs Berkshire now?
Buffett retired as chief executive at the end of 2025 and was succeeded by Greg Abel, who had run the non-insurance businesses. On 18 September 2026 Buffett became chairman emeritus and his son Howard G. Buffett, a director since 1993, became chairman of the board 2.
How much is Berkshire worth?
Berkshire’s Class A and Class B shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange. In 2024 it reported revenue of about $371 billion. Its shares rose 9% in October 2026, and it was worth about $1.19 trillion in early November 13.
