Overview
- Greg Abel will assume the CEO role at the start of 2026 as Warren Buffett remains chairman, with Abel taking over the annual shareholder letter and public meeting duties.
- Buffett converted 1,800 Class A shares into 2.7 million Class B shares worth more than $1.3 billion and donated them to four family foundations named for his late wife and children.
- He said he is accelerating lifetime gifts so his children can direct most of his estate, citing their ages and the desire to act before alternate trustees might step in.
- Buffett plans to keep a significant amount of Class A shares until shareholders develop confidence in Abel comparable to the trust once placed in Buffett and Charlie Munger.
- He reported generally good health despite slowing and remains in the office five days a week, and he highlighted Berkshire’s resilience with roughly $381.6 billion in cash at end‑September and a 34% jump in third‑quarter operating profit.