Warren Buffett left Berkshire Hathaway's chairmanship on Sept. 18, 2026, becoming chairman emeritus; his son Howard took over as non-executive chairman. CEO Greg Abel, who took over nearly nine months earlier, oversees operations and capital allocation.
Berkshire identified Abel as Buffett's successor in 2021, and Abel has held senior roles since 2018. Howard Buffett has served on the board since 1993. Warren Buffett remains a director but will have no management role or routine advisory role to Abel, Reuters reported.
Reuters reported Berkshire's second-quarter operating profit rose 16% to $12.98 billion and that it held $364.7 billion in cash and equivalents. It also reported the shares gained about 1% in 2026, versus roughly 12% for the S&P 500. LSEG data cited by Reuters showed Berkshire's price-to-book ratio fell from about 1.62 to 1.53 after Buffett announced his CEO departure. The article argues Abel's results will influence whether Berkshire retains its valuation premium.
