Overview
- Warren Buffett, 95, will relinquish the CEO role by year-end and remain as Berkshire Hathaway’s chairman.
- Greg Abel, 63, has been designated to succeed him, with reporting placing the handover either by the end of this month or at the start of 2026.
- Under Buffett, Berkshire’s shares rose 5,502,284% from 1965 through 2024, a 19.9% annualized return versus 10.4% for the S&P 500.
- Buffett’s playbook emphasized value investing learned from Benjamin Graham, long holding periods, retaining existing managers at acquired companies, and using insurance cash flows to fund investments.
- With Buffett stepping back from day-to-day leadership, Kiplinger highlights potential market figureheads such as Bill Ackman, David Tepper, Ray Dalio, Daniel Loeb, Cathie Wood, and George Soros, citing recent performance records.